When you want to bring a warm, satisfying first course to the table, this pasta al gratin with broccoli and cheese is a perfect solution. It is made with few ingredients and no complicated steps, and it has the advantage of being prepared in advance and gratinated in the oven at the last moment: ideal when you get home late from work! The broccoli, soft and creamy, combine perfectly with the cheeses which, melting, create a rich and tasty sauce. The oven step gives the dish that golden surface that makes the pasta even more inviting. A perfect first course for a family lunch or an informal dinner. I hope I’ve convinced you to try it because it’s a dish that really deserves it. I assure you that even those who normally dislike this vegetable will enjoy it.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4 Servings
- Cooking methods: Boiling, Stove, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients for pasta al gratin with broccoli and cheese
If you prefer a creamier baked pasta, you can add a few tablespoons of béchamel.
- 12 oz rigate mezze maniche pasta (short tubular pasta)
- 18 oz broccoli
- 1 shallot
- 7 oz scamorza cheese
- 2 oz Taleggio cheese
- 4 tbsp Grana Padano, grated (or Parmesan)
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- black pepper
Tools
- 1 Pot
- 1 Slotted spoon
- 1 Pan
- 1 Baking dish
Preparation of the pasta al gratin with broccoli
Separate the broccoli into florets. Keep the stem as well: remove the tougher outer part with a knife and cut it into pieces. Then wash everything thoroughly.
In a pot, bring plenty of salted water to a boil. Add the florets and stem and cook them for 5 minutes from the return to the boil. They should be very soft.
Drain them with a slotted spoon and set aside. Keep the cooking water because we will use it to cook the pasta.
Cut both the scamorza and the Taleggio into pieces.
In a large pan, heat a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and sauté the finely chopped shallot. Let it sizzle for a few moments, then add the broccoli and sauté for 3-4 minutes, mashing it well with a fork. Salt and pepper to taste and soften the sauce with a little of the broccoli cooking water.
Bring the broccoli cooking water back to a boil and cook the mezze maniche pasta in it. Drain them al dente with a slotted spoon, transfer them directly to the pan with the sauce and mix well.
At this point, add all the Taleggio and 5 oz of scamorza. Mix again thoroughly.
Transfer everything into a previously buttered baking dish (or casserole) and distribute the remaining scamorza on the surface.
Finally, sprinkle with the grated cheese.
Place the baking dish in a preheated static oven at 356°F for 10 minutes, then add a few minutes under the grill function until the surface is nicely golden. Remove the pasta al gratin with broccoli and cheese from the oven and let it cool slightly before serving. Enjoy! Paola.
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