Pesto al Pasta Bake with Roasted Broccoli
This Pesto al Pasta Bake with Roasted Broccoli is one of the easiest meals to pull together - and let me tell you, the people love it. Customize this recipe to accommodate your unique needs and what you happen to have on hand - have a different kind of cheese and bell peppers instead of broccoli? Use those instead! Enjoy.
Ingredients
- 16 oz dried pasta bowtie pasta works particularly well here
- 2 heads broccoli chopped into florets
- olive oil
- 1.5-2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated, shredded works too
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F.
- Boil a large pot of water with a couple generous pinches of salt. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente (Note: pasta should still have a slight firmness to it because we are going to continue cooking it in the oven!)
- On a baking sheet or two drizzled with olive oil, place broccoli florets in a single layer. Coat in olive oil, sprinkle with a dash of salt and pepper, and bake for 15-20 minutes or until broccoli is nicely browned and slightly crispy.
- In a large casserole dish, layer olive oil, pasta, broccoli, and shredded mozzarella cheese until you've used up all of your ingredients. Top with mozzarella, parmesan, red pepper flakes, and a dash of black pepper.
- Bake, uncovered, at 375° F for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is golden brown and bubbly. Serve immediately! Leftovers can be kept in fridge for up to 5 days and they reheat perfectly.