Well it looks like the cold, well ok “the cold” for my part of Italy has arrived and what better way to stay warm and comfy than with a plate of Creamy Broccoli Bacon Penne Casserole?
Creamy Broccoli Bacon Penne Casserole
Creamy Broccoli Bacon Penne CasseroleThis is the perfect weeknight pasta recipe. Broccoli grows pretty well in Italy, so needless to say my husband and his brother decided that we needed broccoli and lots of it.
There are so many ways you can Bake it or serve it, as a Red Sauce Pasta Bake and it can even take the place of Cauliflower.
So the other day when I went to my friend’s grocery store, I thought I would ask if she had any new suggestions for this head of broccoli.
At first she gave me the usual suggestions, breaded or sautéed in some olive oil, the usual.
But I wanted something different, and so she told me about this delicious baked pasta recipe, Creamy Broccoli Bacon Pasta Casserole.
And why not? You can never have enough Baked Pasta dishes in my opinion.
Creamy Broccoli Bacon Casserole
Her recipe called for Italian sausages but since the Italian isn’t a great lover of sausages (crazy I know),I decided to switch it up with Pancetta instead.
If you can’t get Pancetta then bacon will do. Now imagine this, pasta and broccoli cooked al dente, mixed in a creamy white sauce, topped with chopped Pancetta and then sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Now this Creamy Broccoli Bacon Pasta Casserole sounds like a comfort food wouldn’t you say? Buon Appetito!
Creamy Broccoli Bacon Penne Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 small head of broccoli broken into small florets
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese or more if you wish
- 1/3 cup cubed pancetta or bacon (or 2 or 3 Italian sausages casing removed)
- fresh thyme
- 3 cups cooked short pasta
- WHITE SAUCE
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
- 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
- pinch salt
- 1 1/2 cups milk
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350°, lightly grease a 8 x 6 inch casserole dish.
- In a large pot of salted water first boil the broccoli florets until al dente, drain well and set aside, in the same water cook the pasta al dente, drain well.
- In a small pan with 1 tablespoon of oil cook pancetta (bacon or sausage) until lightly golden, remove from pan and drain on paper towel lined plate.
- In a medium pot on medium heat, melt butter, whisk in flour and salt until smooth then gradually add milk and stir continuously until smooth and thickened. Gently fold in broccoli and pasta, then gently fold in Pancetta, turn into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and top with fresh thyme. Bake for approximately 15 minutes (I also broil it for about 2-3 minutes to brown the top). Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Updated from January 20, 2016.
Laurie from Virginia says
We modify this recipe a bit by adding more cheese and more veggies, usually half a fresh bell pepper. Excellent recipe! My daughter is keeping this one, as she prepares to start cooking for herself.
Rosemary says
Hi Laurie thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed them. And that is great your daughter is starting to cook. Have a great weekend.
Sam says
Hi I’m going to try again .. I am using one pound pasta box that I will boil .. how much bechamel will I need ? Ty again..
Rosemary says
Hi Sam I would probably 1 1/2 or even double the recipe for the white sauce. Let me know how it goes.
Laurie from Virginia says
When I use a pound of pasta, I double everything else! I also add more cheese and a chopped bell pepper.
Sam says
Hi there.. kinda new in the kitchen .I want to make this for about 12 ounces of pasta .. how much bechamel would I need ? The amount you post is 3 cups pasta cooked right ?ty in advance samfarias
Rosemary says
Hi Sam, so 12 ounces would be half the recipe, although the white sauce I would do 1 cup milk, 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon of flour and a pinch of salt. Let me know how it goes.
Sam says
12 ounces is almost a pound of pasta uncooked that’ is .. isn’t your recipe less it says cooked pasta ! I’m confused
Rosemary says
Hi Sam, I am sorry, but I am also confused, 12 ounces of cooked pasta is equal to 1 1/2 cups cooked. So are you talking cooked or uncooked pasta? And 2 ounces of uncooked pasta equals 1 cup of cooked. So you either need to double it or half it depending on whether you are talking about dry or cooked pasta.
Laurie from Virginia says
A new favorite in my family! I use olive oil instead of butter in the white sauce for our low-salt diet, and sauté some garlic in the oil to add flavor to the white sauce. I use more broccoli than recommended, and add a cup or more of chopped raw bell pepper (red, yellow, green – whatever I have). I mix the 1/3 cup parmesan (or other cheese) into the sauce and add more cheese to the top. If I have other leftover veggies in the fridge, I add them!
Delicious, healthy meal! The bacon flavor goes a long way. Easy to make, and enjoyed by all of us!
Rosemary says
Thanks Laurie, glad you and your family enjoyed it. Take care.
marlene Iannarilli garbett says
excellent recipes thankyou, my family loves them
Rosemary says
Hi Marlene, thanks glad everyone enjoys them. Take care.
Jeremy says
Made this at the firehouse tonight and it was a big hit. Everyone loved it. I doubled the recipe and added some extra cheese, as well as some pepper to the sauce. I also used 8 slices of pepper bacon and cut it up. I didn’t have penne noodles so I substituted those for what we had in the pantry. Delicious will definitely be making this again!
Rosemary says
Hi Jeremy, thanks so much, so glad everyone liked it. And extra cheese and pepper is always a good thing. All the best. 🙂
Katherine says
Followed the recipe as written (used bacon because I had neither pancetta nor sausage) and it was delicious! I may try browning some garlic in the butter next time, but I will definitely make this again and again. My husband & I really enjoyed it.
Rosemary says
Hi Katherine, thanks so glad you both enjoyed it. Sounds like a good idea with the garlic. Have a great day. 🙂
R says
Not that impressed, the portions you put are too little, this did not turn out :/
Rosemary says
Hi R I am sorry it didn’t turn out for you, so I decided to re make it and I followed the recipe exactly and it was even better than I remember it being. 🙂
Taylor says
This was delicious! I adore the fresh thyme. Threw in some minced garlic, to give the sauce more flavor. While on the subject of sauce, the recipe should call for a bit more milk, as there wasn’t a lot to cover the ingredients.
Rosemary says
Hi Taylor, so glad you liked it, thanks for the update on the milk I will note that.
Easy Peasy Life Matters says
This sounds to die for!! Pinned! Thanks for sharing on the Thursday Favorite Things blog hop 🙂
Ann says
I definitely have to try this recipe. The kids may even like it. It’s freezing here and we’re expecting a snowstorm this weekend. Perfect dish.
Rosemary says
Hi Ann, sorry to hear about the weather, keep warm and enjoy the pasta.
Jean says
This looks amazing! Creamy, cheesy pasta with bacon and broccoli?!? I’m in. Wednesday night is pasta night at our house and this is on the menu for next week. Thank you!
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way says
Well it is cold in southern Florida also and it’s supposed to be warm. That’s why we come here. Your casserole looks delicious — you can’t go wrong with those ingredients. Just save a double helping for me, please?? Stay warm.
April @ Girl Gone Gourmet says
So, it’s FREEZING cold here in North Carolina – I would love a big plate of this after taking the puppy on his frigid evening walk! I love broccoli, and cheese, pasta, and bacon – so, yeah, this is pretty much my idea of food heaven 🙂
Rosemary says
Hi April, to tell the truth it’s pretty cold here too, come for dinner! 🙂