Broccoli Pasta Al Forno. Delicious tubes of al forno pasta with fresh broccoli, all cooked in one quick pan and then finished off in the oven. One pot cooking doesn’t get any better than broccoli pasta al forno.
I grew up on the same types of pastas and would have them all the time if I could. It would either be macaroni cheese, broccoli gratin with pasta and of course root vegetables along with pasta and a big cheese sauce.
Clearly, I had a certain theme and pasta al forno would always feature on the menu. Thanks to how easy it is to cook and how frugal it is too, it is always a family winner.
But confession time….how often do we cook the pasta in a pan of boiling water, make the cheese sauce in another pan and then finally the broccoli will be boiled in a third pan. It will then be transferred to a huge tray and then finished off in the oven so that is can bake.
I mean how ridiculous does this sound?
Plus, so many of us have done this until we have learnt the art of pasta al forno in one pot.
But a normal one pot would of course be a big Dutch Oven or maybe in the Instant Pot. But I bet nobody has thought (well until now) the benefit of doing so in a frying pan and then having a frying pan that handle just comes nicely off so that you can finish the cooking in the oven.
You start by frying your onions, making your stock, then add the broccoli and pasta in and it will cook in the stock. Then reduce it to reduce the stock, add your sauce and then the cooking process can then be finished in the oven. Plus, it is so fast to make that it is just PERFECT for a quick mid-week dinner for you and your family.
If you don’t like broccoli or don’t have any in, then swap it for a different vegetable with a similar texture.
I love to also do it with:
- Cauliflower
- Cabbage
- Butternut Squash
- Sweet Potatoes
Don’t do it with:
- White Potatoes
- Carrots
- Courgettes
- Pumpkin
- Aubergines
This is because aubergines, pumpkin and courgettes hold too much water and run the thickness of your favourite cheese sauce. Then with the white potatoes and carrots they are very hard and require a lot more cooking.
Plus of course you could also go with pretty much any type of pasta. I love to throw in all the little bits of pasta that I have leftover in my pantry.
Even better the same can be said for cheese. You can grab all the little bits of cheese that you have leftover in the freezer and add it in. It’s so much nicer with a cheese sauce when you use a variety of delicious cheeses.
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- Frying Pan with removable handle
- 1 Medium Broccoli
- 250 g Al Forno Pasta
- 500 ml Vegetable Stock
- 1 Large Onion
- 1 Tbsp Garlic Puree
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 3 Tbsp Greek Yoghurt
- 200 g Cheddar Cheese
- 1 Tbsp Basil
- 1 Tbsp Oregano
- Salt & Pepper
- Dice and peel the onion. Place the onion, garlic and olive oil into the frying pan and cook for a couple of minutes on a high heat until your onions have started to soften.
- Dice the broccoli into medium sized florets and add the broccoli and pasta to the frying pan. Give it a stir.
- Add to this your stock and allow the stock to come to the boil.
- When it does, reduce the heat to low and allow it to simmer (without a lid on) for a couple of minutes.
- Grate the cheese.
- Stir it and add in the rest of the ingredients.
- Remove the handle and place in the oven at 200c/400f for 5 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling.
- Serve in soup bowls.
The Greek Yoghurt does a perfect job in this dish because it creates the ideal creamy sauce without having to make a homemade cheese sauce and with a lot less calories than a traditional cheese sauce. However if you want to reduce your calories further then swap Greek Yoghurt for Quark.
Broccoli Pasta Al Forno Podcast
We also have created a short version of this Broccoli Pasta Al Forno recipe into a Podcast. We have loaded it up onto our Itunes account and it is great for a quick download and then you can save it to your phone and then have it in your kitchen with you as you cook.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:49 — 1.6MB)
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSS
You can download it on Itunes or also access it on our Stitcher account or find it on our You Tube Channel.
Cleverona Essential Non-Stick 11 Inch Frying Pan With SecureSnap Detachable Handle
This amazing broccoli pasta al forno was made using this Cleverona Essential Non-Stick 11 Inch Frying Pan With SecureSnap Detachable Handle.
I absolutely hate it when you want a pan that can easily transfer into the oven without it being too big or having part of it that is not oven safe. This is the solution.
If you head over to their Amazon page then you can buy the exact same one that we have.
Plus a HUGE Thank You to Cleverona for giving us the opportunity to test drive their amazing 11 inch frying pan that has a very clever secure snap detachable handle.
You can also connect with them on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.
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