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Home » Recipes » Broccoli cheddar pasta bake

Broccoli cheddar pasta bake

January 30, 2021 by Alida Ryder 4 Comments

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The creamiest broccoli cheddar pasta bake is an easy, meat-free weeknight dinner recipe the entire family will love.

Broccoli cheddar pasta bake

Ingredients

Full recipe and amounts can be found in the recipe card below. 

  • Butter. 
  • Flour. 
  • Milk. 
  • Cream. Heavy/Whipping/Half and half.
  • Garlic powder. 
  • Cheddar cheese. 
  • Parmesan cheese. Use a vegetarian alternative if required.
  • Thyme. 
  • Broccoli. 
  • Salt and pepper. 
  • Pasta. Any short pasta shape will work. I prefer Fusilli, Orecchiette and macaroni.

Creamy pasta with broccoli and cheddar.

How to make broccoli cheddar pasta bake

  1. Make the cheese sauce: Melt the butter in a deep pan or saucepan then whisk in the flour. Cook for 1-2 minutes then whisk in the garlic powder and thyme. Add the milk, stirring/whisking continuously, until smooth. Cook over medium heat until the sauce has thickened and the flour has cooked through. Stir in the cream, grated cheese and season with salt and pepper.
  2. Cook the broccoli and pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 7-10 minutes. The pasta should be quite firm still as it will continue cooking in the oven. Add the broccoli florets and cook for the last 2 minutes of cooking. Reserve 1 cup of cooking water and drain.
  3. Assemble and bake: Combine the pasta and broccoli with the cheese sauce. Add a little pasta water if the sauce is too thick. Transfer to a baking dish and top with grated cheddar cheese. Place in a preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and bubbling. Remove from the oven, allow to rest for 5 minutes then serve.

Can I make this ahead?

The pasta bake can be assembled and refrigerated for a day in advance or frozen for up to 3 months, before baking. I would suggest freezing in foil containers to make for easy baking from frozen (no thawing needed). Leftover baked pasta can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days and reheated in a hot oven.

What to serve with broccoli cheddar pasta bake

  1. Lemon Parmesan Green Salad
  2. Easy crusty bread

Broccoli cheddar pasta bake

Pasta bake recipes

  1. Bolognese pasta bake
  2. Creamy spinach artichoke pasta bake
  3. Pizza pasta bake
Broccoli cheddar pasta bake

Easy broccoli cheddar pasta bake

0 from 0 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Broccoli cheddar pasta, Broccoli pasta, Pasta bake
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 579kcal
Author: Alida Ryder

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 4 tbsp flour
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1½ cups milk
  • 1 cup cream
  • 2 tsp thyme
  • 2 cups grated cheddar cheese + 1 cup for topping
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 500 g (1lb) pasta
  • 500 g (1lb) broccoli florets

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 7-10 minutes. The pasta should be quite firm still as it will continue cooking in the oven. Add the broccoli florets and cook for the last 2 minutes of cooking. Reserve 1 cup of cooking water and drain.
  • While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a deep pan or saucepan then whisk in the flour.
  • Cook for 1-2 minutes then whisk in the garlic powder and thyme.
  • Add the milk, stirring/whisking continuously, until smooth. Cook over medium heat until the sauce has thickened and the flour has cooked through.
  • Stir in the cream, grated cheese and season with salt and pepper.
  • Combine the pasta and broccoli with the cheese sauce. Add a little pasta water if the sauce is too thick.
  • Transfer to a baking dish and top with grated cheddar cheese. Place in a preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.
  • Remove from the oven, allow to rest for 5 minutes then serve. 

Nutrition

Calories: 579kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 521mg | Potassium: 472mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1303IU | Vitamin C: 76mg | Calcium: 357mg | Iron: 3mg
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Filed Under: Dinner Recipes, Pasta, Recipes, Vegetarian Tagged With: broccoli cheddar pasta, broccoli pasta bake, cheddar, cheese recipe, dinner, easy recipe, Pasta Bake, pasta recipe, vegetarian

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Comments

  1. Tricia

    February 4, 2021 at 11:32 AM

    Hi, I was just wondering if tis recipe would work using creme fraiche instead of cream.
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      February 5, 2021 at 12:19 PM

      Absolutely!

      Reply
  2. Sharon

    February 2, 2021 at 9:03 PM

    What temperature oven? I assume 350 but the recipe doesn’t state.

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      February 5, 2021 at 12:20 PM

      Recipe has been updated.

      Reply

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