A simple, creamy vegetarian broccoli pasta bake with a crunchy cheesy topping that is perfect for any night of the week - all you need is 20 minutes for prep time!
If you are looking for an easy vegetarian weeknight dish that is hearty, creamy, and super tasty, look no further! This broccoli pasta bake has a rich and creamy cheese sauce with garlic and mustard, giving it a slight kick.
The breadcrumb and cheese topping becomes golden, crunchy, and slightly melted in the oven, making it the perfect combination when you are in the mood for a healthy and hearty dish.
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⭐️ Why This Recipe Is The Best
- Easy - If you can boil pasta, you can make this recipe! Prep time is just 20 minutes, with simple, pantry-friendly ingredients.
- Healthy - A hearty vegetarian dish that's full of broccoli. Make it even healthier by adding a second veggie!
- Cheesy and Crunchy - The sauce is cheesy and creamy, and the breadcrumb/cheese topping becomes golden and crunchy in the oven. Yum!
- Versatile - Use your favorite type of cheese and/or substitute cauliflower for the broccoli. Make this pasta bake your own!
- Great for Weeknights - Because this dish takes less than 30 minutes to prepare, it's perfect for a busy weeknight.
🥦 Ingredient Notes
- Whole grain mustard - I love the coarser texture of a whole grain mustard, but you can use whichever type you prefer.
- Garlic - I recommend using fresh garlic for optimal garlicky flavor.
- Sharp cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese - Add tanginess and nuttiness to our bake.
- Panko breadcrumbs - Feel free to use your own homemade breadcrumbs here.
- Fresh parsley - Adds fresh herby aromatics to our cheesy pasta bake.
📝 Variations & Substitutions
- Pasta. This recipe calls for rigatoni or penne pasta, but you could also use rotini pasta. Hollow pasta or pasta with ridges work best here because it's a saucy dish, and you want the sauce to get stuck in the crevices.
- Seasoning. Did you run out of store-bought Italian seasoning? Make your own Italian seasoning substitute, and use it on all of your favorite Italian dishes, like pizza, pasta, and meatballs!
- Onion. Substitute a red onion or 2-3 large shallots.
- Make vegan/dairy-free: Turn this into a dairy-free pasta bake by using non-dairy milk and cheese.
- Make gluten-free: Substitute gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- Cheese. Use your favorite type(s) of cheese, like mozzarella, Swiss, or Pepper Jack.
- Spicy: The red pepper flakes are optional, and they add just a touch of heat. However, if you want a spicier pasta bake, add 1 teaspoon of flakes and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
🔪 How To Make This
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook until onion is soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Whisk in flour and combine until a paste is formed. Pour in milk slowly and continue to whisk for another minute.
Stir in mustard, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using). Simmer for 2-3 minutes and remove from heat. Add ⅔ cup of cheddar cheese, ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese, and stir until well incorporated.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, minus 3 minutes. About 2 minutes before pasta is ready to be drained, add the broccoli florets and cook in pasta for remaining 2 minutes.
Drain pasta and broccoli (but reserve 3 Tablespoons of pasta water to whisk into onion/milk mixture) and transfer into large baking dish.
After adding reserved pasta water to sauce, pour sauce over pasta and broccoli, and gently combine.
In a small bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs along with the remaining cheddar and parmesan cheese. Sprinkle mixture on top of pasta and cover the dish with foil.
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes, until the top is golden brown and cheese is melted. Garnish with parsley, if using. Serve immediately.
👩🏼🍳 Expert Tips
- Avoid clumps. Pour your milk in slowly and stir with a whisk to avoid clumps from developing.
- Don't overcook your pasta. You want it to be al dente, not mushy.
- Don't overlook the step of adding pasta water to your cheese sauce. It helps to thin it out before adding to the pasta.
- Storage: Place leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- How to freeze: You can freeze this dish, but the sauce may break, making it look a bit funky. But if that doesn't bother you, freeze away!
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
Adding broccoli to pasta bake adds nutrition, flavor, color, and texture, making it an excellent family-friendly dish.
Baked broccoli and cheese can be prepped in just 20 minutes! In this recipe, we make a cheesy sauce using cheddar and Parmesan cheese. After cooking the pasta al dente, we cook the broccoli briefly, and add both to a large baking dish. The cheese sauce is added on top, along with breadcrumbs and extra cheese. It's baked for 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
Broccoli pasta bake is delicious served with salads, like apple gorgonzola salad or citrus fennel salad; with roasted vegetables, like roasted brussels sprouts with garlic or cumin roasted carrots; or with a piece of sourdough discard focaccia with rosemary.
🍝 Related Recipes
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Broccoli Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ yellow onion, finely sliced
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups skim or 2% milk
- 1 Tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated and divided
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated and divided
- 12 ounces rigatoni or penne pasta
- 1 large head of broccoli, washed and cut into florets
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook until onion is soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.
- Whisk in flour and combine until a paste is formed. Pour in milk slowly and continue to whisk for another minute.
- Stir in mustard, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using). Simmer for 2-3 minutes and remove from heat. Add ⅔ cup of cheddar cheese, ¼ cup of parmesan cheese, and stir until well incorporated.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, minus 3 minutes. About 2 minutes before pasta is ready to be drained, add the broccoli florets and cook in pasta for remaining 2 minutes.
- Drain pasta and broccoli (but reserve 3 Tablespoons of pasta water to whisk into onion/milk mixture) and transfer into large baking dish.
- After adding reserved pasta water to sauce, pour sauce over pasta and broccoli, and gently combine.
- In a small bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs along with the remaining cheddar and parmesan cheese. Sprinkle mixture on top of pasta and cover the dish with foil.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes, until the top is golden brown and cheese is melted.
- Garnish with parsley, if using. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Avoid clumps. Pour your milk in slowly and stir with a whisk to avoid clumps from developing.
- Don't overcook your pasta. You want it to be al dente, not mushy.
- Don't overlook the step of adding pasta water to your cheese sauce. It helps to thin it out before adding to the pasta.
- Storage: Place leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- How to freeze: You can freeze this dish, but the sauce may break, making it look a bit funky. But if that doesn't bother you, freeze away!
Barbara Haner
What an easy healthy recipe! Thanks!
Gastronotherapy
You are welcome! This pasta bake makes a great weeknight dinner!