Broccoli Cheese Pasta (Print Version)
Cheesy sauce hugs pasta and bites of broccoli for a tasty crowd-pleaser that's done in a flash.
# Ingredients:
→ Sauce
01 -
2.5 ml mustard powder
02 -
2.5 ml garlic powder
03 -
2.5 ml onion powder
04 -
2.5 ml dried oregano
05 -
240 ml half and half
06 -
240 ml chicken broth
07 -
0.5 chicken bouillon cube
08 -
2.5 ml dried parsley
09 -
2.5 ml dried basil
10 -
5 ml hot sauce (like Frank's)
→ Pasta
11 -
16 g Parmesan cheese, grated
12 -
115 g cheddar cheese, shredded
13 -
225 g broccoli, chopped super fine
14 -
225 g Gemelli pasta
15 -
16 g all-purpose flour
16 -
42 g unsalted butter
# Steps:
01 -
Toss the pasta you drained right into the cheesy sauce. Give it a good stir to cover it all. Let it hang out a bit so things thicken up before you dig in while it's still warm.
02 -
Drop the cooked noodles into your thickened sauce. Lower the heat, then softly blend in all the shredded cheddar and grated parm until everything's melty and smooth.
03 -
Pour a bit of your premixed sauce into the butter-flour mix, whisking as you go. Once it starts looking combined, toss in that diced broccoli. Let it bubble, then turn the heat down so it barely simmers. Toss a lid on partly while you work on the pasta.
04 -
Melt your butter over medium in a tall skillet. Sprinkle in the flour and keep whisking for a minute or two until things just start to smell toasty.
05 -
Fill a big pot with water and get it boiling. Chuck in a spoonful of kosher salt, then the Gemelli. Stir every now and then and check for doneness by biting into a piece at the package time.
06 -
Grab a measuring jug and whisk together chicken broth, half and half, that bit of bouillon cube, all the dry herbs, mustard powder, plus a splash of hot sauce. Set aside for later.
07 -
Chop your broccoli super fine for quick cooking. Take a block of cheddar and shred, then grate Parmesan so it melts better.
# Notes:
01 -
Cheese from a block melts smoother, so skip the pre-shredded stuff if you can.
02 -
Want chunky broccoli? Just throw the florets in with your pasta for the last few minutes, then mix together.
03 -
Adding cheese to sauce that's cooled off a tad keeps it from turning gritty. Don't crank the heat up.
04 -
The hot sauce wakes up the flavors but won't actually make it spicy. Leave it out or switch it up, no worries.
05 -
No Gemelli? Grab Rotini, Penne, Shells, or even Fusilli to swap in.
06 -
Stick leftovers in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 3 days, or pop it in the freezer for 3 months tops.