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Broccoli Shells + Cheese

Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
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Why we love it:

This dish is easy to pull together but will take time to heat through and melt the cheese in the oven. It’s really great leftover, too. You can assemble and bake it for leftovers, or assemble but don’t bake it until just before you serve. It’s a perfect dish to have in the fridge for cozy lunches all week.
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Ingredients

  • 1 package Shells Pasta (I like medium size)
  • 1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt (maybe more for pasta)
  • 1 Yellow Onion
  • 6 cloves Garlic
  • 1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
  • 2 pounds Broccoli
  • 8 ounces Mozzarella (shredded) (or a firm block)
  • 3 ounces Parmesan Cheese
  • 1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon Nutmeg (freshly ground)
  • 1 teaspoon Red Wine Vinegar
  • 1 cup Half & Half
  • 1 Cucumber
  • 3 Carrots

Cooking Instructions

  • 1. PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 400 DEGREES
  • 2. BRING A LARGE POT OF WATER TO A BOIL

    Add most of a tablespoon of salt. For pasta, make the water taste like the ocean. When ready, cook the pasta according to package directions. Before draining, reserve ½ cup of the pasta water, then drain it.

  • 3. ONION + GARLIC

    Thinly slice the yellow onion into half-moons if you like onion. If you dislike seeing onions in the final dish, you can finely dice it. Mince the garlic.

  • 4. SAUTÉ

    Get a large sauté pan and melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté while you chop the broccoli.

  • 5. BROCCOLI

    Chop the florets off and set aside. Remove the very bottom of the stem, and use a vegetable peeler on the main stalk. Dice the stalk into a large dice. Add the stalk to the onions. Sauté for about 4 minutes. Chop the florets into smaller sizes if needed, nothing much bigger than a pasta shell. Add to the pot.

    Add the reserved ½ cup of pasta water to the broccoli (if you haven’t yet drained the pasta, just scoop ½ cup water off the top). Cover the pan and let the broccoli steam for about 6 - 7 minutes.

  • 6. CHEESE

    If needed, grate the mozzarella and shred the parmesan. Set aside.

  • 7. FINISH BROCCOLI

    Remove the lid and add the pepper flakes and nutmeg. Add about 1 teaspoon of salt. Keep cooking until the water has evaporated. Add the vinegar and stir, cook until it’s not visible.

  • 8. HALF & HALF

    Add the half & half to the broccoli and turn off the heat. Add all but about 1 cup of the mozzarella and all but a few teaspoons of the parmesan. Toss.

    If the pot is large enough, stir in the pasta (if it’s not, you can put the pasta back in the pasta pot and pour the broccoli cream over).

    Taste it. You might prefer more salt, this is the best time to add it.

  • 9. BAKING DISH

    Transfer all pasta to a 9 x 13 baking dish, scrape in all sauce. You can also use a smaller dish which will make the casserole thicker - it doesn’t really matter.

    Pat down the pasta in place. Top with the reserved cheese and bake for about 10 - 15 minutes until everything is hot and cheese is melty.

  • 10. CRUDITÉ

    Meanwhile, slice the veggies to make a nice crudité plate on the side.

  • 11. SERVING

    Serve hot scoops of broccoli pasta on plates with raw veggies on the side.

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Substitutions

  • GLUTEN FREE:
    your fave GF pasta works great, just cook according to the package
  • DAIRY FREE:
    I prefer using a creamy nut-based cheese stirred into the pasta mix, like Kite Hill ricotta. You can top it with a sprinkle of nutritional yeast, if you like that taste. Or top with shredded GF cheese
  • COW DAIRY FREE:
    stir fresh chevre into the pasta and use pecorino for the parmesan
  • VEGAN:
    also sub out the butter for olive oil
  • OTHER CHEESE:
    anything melty is great here. Try something sharper like cheddar, fontina, taleggio, comté , to “fancy up” the flavor profile
  • ANCHOVY:
    if I were making this for clients, I’d add some anchovy paste to the cooking onions and garlic. It’s a classic flavor combo
  • CRUDITÉ:
    the fresh crunch of raw veggies is easy to prep and a nice compliment to the rich pasta, but a side salad or grilled veggies are nice too. Try - radish, cherry tomatoes, celery, broccoli florets, jicama, etc.
  • MUST HAVE MEAT:
    adding in crumbled sausage or ground beef or turkey is a great addition while cooking the onion and garlic
  • OTHER VEGGIES:
    mixing up broccoli by adding cauliflower or finely chopped brussels sprouts makes things interesting. I also love adding diced squash like delicata or butternut (try using a frozen bag!)
  • KIDS CORNER:
    assembled, perhaps kids will complain. As you go, reserve a pile of plain pasta, plan cooked broccoli, a pile of cheese. My kids will see it deconstructed and go for it
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