Baked Pasta with Broccoli, Sausage and Creamy Lemon Sauce

Pasta bakes are the ultimate comfort food. This recipe takes inspiration from the way my Nonnas and Aunties taught me to cook. Take a look in the fridge and pantry and use what you have and transform it into something beautiful. Here I made a creamy broccoli sauce with my The Pasta Queen Lemon Temptress Sauce (available at Walmart) and tossed it with sausage, al dente pasta and creamy mozzarella. The whole thing was topped with a generous layer of Parmigiano before being baked to perfection. It’s full of protein, fiber, fresh vegetables and it’s warm and cozy. What could be better?

Baked Pasta with Broccoli, Sausage and Creamy Lemon Sauce

Serves 6
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Ingredients

  • Salt to taste
  • 2 medium heads of broccoli stems trimmed and discarded, then cut into florets
  • 1 (14 ounce) jar The Pasta Queen Lemon Temptress Sauce
  • 1 pound pasta short pasta works best: rigatoni, mezze maniche
  • Extra virgin olive oil as needed
  • 2 Italian-style sausage links casing removed, about 8 ounces
  • 8 ounce ball of fresh mozzarella torn by hand
  • Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese finely grated to taste

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
  • Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water reaches a boil, salt it so it takes like a seasoned soup. Add the broccoli and cook until bright green and tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside, but keep the water at a rolling boil.
  • In a large bowl with an immersion blender or in a high speed blender, combine the broccoli and The Lemon Temptress. Add a splash of cooking water (about ½ cup) to the jar and shake to loosen up any bits of sauce in the jar. Add that to the broccoli and blend until smooth. Set aside.
  • Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until very al dente.
  • Meanwhile, in an oven safe baking dish, add a drizzle of olive oil and set over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, crumbling it with a wooden spoon as it cooks to break it into bite-sized pieces, until brown and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Alternatively, cook it in a skillet, then transfer it to a baking dish.
  • Drain the al dente pasta and add it to the baking dish with the sausage.Pour the broccoli cream over the pasta and mix well until everything is evenly coated.
  • Scatter the mozzarella on top, followed by a generous layer of grated Parmigiano.
  • Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 20–30 minutes, until bubbly and golden on top.

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I AM Nadia Caterina Munno

…but the Gorgeous Ones call me The Pasta Queen

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