Amazing Baked Pasta Recipe with Broccoli and White Sauce

Baked Pasta with White Sauce

A twist on tradition, this baked pasta is as cheesy as it should be but with a little more green and a lot more bite! Broccoli and sausage mince combine to make the perfect combination and once smothered with béchamel and a serious amount of mozzarella, you'll have mouths hungry for more.



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Baked Pasta Recipe | Pasta al Forno | Italian Pasta Recipe



Ingredients for the Pasta:

3-4 Italian pork sausages with fennel

1 packet (500g) of Rigatoni pasta

2 medium size broccoli heads

Extra virgin olive oil

Small sprig of rosemary

Fresh mozzarella (cut into cubes)

Parmesan cheese



Ingredients for Bechamel Sauce:

50g butter

50g plain flour

500ml milk



Utensils:

1 x large saucepan

1 x 5L deep pot

Wooden spoon

Whisk

Hand grater

Rectangular baking tray



Method:

1. Peel the skin off the sausages and break down the mince into small balls.

2. Cut the broccoli into small pieces (stalks too) and boil them for around 15 min.

3. Melt 50g of butter in a pan and add 50g flour then whisk well to ensure you minimise lumps.

4. Using up to 500ml of milk begin to stir in a small amount at a time over heat.

5. Add a sprinkle of nutmeg and keep whisking and adding milk until it becomes creamy. Leave to the side.

6. Put a fry pan on the stove at a medium heat. Add a sprig of rosemary and using a wooden spoon, mix it through the oil and around the pan so it infuses.

7. Remove the rosemary and then add the broccoli, letting them sauté until they become really soft and squash them down with a wooden spoon. Add the mini sausage balls and make sure they brown well and cook through.

8. In the meantime, bring 5L of water to the boil and add a good pinch of rock salt before finally adding the pasta.

9. Cook the rigatoni pasta 2 minutes less than the recommended time so it is still al dente (it will continue to cook in the oven) and then strain the water out.

10. Using the deep pot you cooked the pasta in, add some broccoli and sausage mix then add a few layers of pasta, another generous amount of the broccoli and repeat until you finish both. Mix well.

11. Add some béchamel through and mix together so there are no big lumps.

12. Spoon out the pasta mixture onto a baking tray creating a layer. Add some béchamel sauce through the middle along with cubes of mozzarella. This process will make the baked pasta nice and creamy.







13. Create another layer and once again add béchamel and mozzarella. Grate fresh parmesan over the top, smothering the pasta. This will crisp up the sides once in the oven and melt through the middle.

14. Cook it in the oven for minutes at 220 degrees celsius.







How to serve:

1. Once the edges of the baked pasta are slightly browned and the cheese is melted, it's time to serve!







2. Remove the tray from the oven and cut slits in the pasta the sizes of your portions. Leave to cool for 2 minutes and then serve.

3. Of course if you are a cheese lover you can add even MORE parmesan too..!!







Baked Pasta Recipe | Pasta al Forno | Italian Pasta Recipe



E ora si mangia, Vincenzo's Plate...Enjoy!











Serve this beautiful baked pasta with a delicious antipasto and a fantastic Vincenzo's Plate Dessert:



- Sicilian Arancini Recipe (Click to get the recipe)







- Italian Style Apple Crumble Recipe (Click here to get the recipe)







Watch and listen this beautiful song from the new Andrea Bocelli album "Cinema"

Music Video: Andrea Bocelli feat Ariana Grande "E piu ti Penso

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