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Kayotic Pasta Gratin
When I want to make the men in my life happy, I cook this. Okay, so it kinda makes me happy, too. What is it? Think of it as a combination between baked pasta and a gratin, sans the cream. Plus, it’s the ideal way for me to get the kiddo to eat broccoli; something he won’t touch with a 10 foot pole otherwise.
Just a simple but incredibly tasty dish that you can make ahead of time and pop in the oven when you come home. Not really low-fat but also not super fattening. Definitely my kinda soul food.
Ingredients:
1 pound sausage (Jimmy Dean hot)
1 pound broccoli
1 medium onion
2 garlic cloves
4 tbsp chicken broth
1/2 pound shell pasta
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried parsley
breadcrumbs
grated Parmesan
Sauce:
3oz butter
5 tbsp flour
3 cups milk
4 oz cheese
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
cayenne
pepper
Directions:
In the Netherlands we don’t have something like Jimmy Dean sausage, so I just took regular sausages out of their casings and spiked them with cayenne. Or you could use ground beef in stead.
Mince the onion and grate or mince the garlic cloves.
Cut the broccoli in small florets. You could also make this dish with cauliflower btw.
Heat a drop of oil and cook the onions, over medium heat, for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
This is just my personal favorite combination, use whatever herb combination stole your heart. Fresh or dried. Sage works really well in this dish, or go for basil.
Add 2 tsp oregano and 1 tsp dried parsley to the onions. Cook for an additional minute to get the flavors going.
Add the sausage and break it up with a spatula. Cook over low to medium heat, until it starts to lose its rawness.
In the mean time we’ll cook the pasta. I opted for Pipe Rigate, but you can use any type of shell pasta for this. Cook the pasta in salted water according to the instructions on the package.
If there’s a lot of fat coming out of the sausage, drain it. Yes, all of it (glares). Add the broccoli and cook for a few minutes while stirring. Spoon in 4 tbsp chicken (or vegetable broth), pop the lid on and simmer the meat and broccoli over low heat for about 5 minutes.
Time to whip up the sauce. Heat 3 oz butter and add 5 slightly heaping tbsp flour. Cook for a minute to neutralize the rawness of the flour.
Pour in 2 cups of milk and keep a third cup nearby. Bring the sauce to a boil while gently stirring. Bit by bit, add the third cup of milk until you reach a consistency you like. I usually go for a full 3 cups.
Spike the sauce with 2 tsp Dijon mustard and add salt to taste—I’ve added 1 tsp salt, just keep in mind we’ll also be adding cheese! Let the sauce simmer, over very low heat, for a few minutes.
The pasta and meat should be done by now. Drain the pasta and remove the meat from the stove.
Finish the sauce with pepper, a good pinch of cayenne and the grated cheese. You can use Parmesan, Gouda, Gruyere or even cheddar for this. Any type of cheese you like. Or be adventurous and mix two types of cheese.
Now either add the pasta to the meat & broccoli in the pan, or transfer things to an oven dish and mix it there. Your call.
Pour the sauce all over. This looks so yummy, doesn’t it? And not a drop of cream in it, though you’d never tell.
Sprinkle some breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan on top of the sauce.
Put the pasta in a preheated oven and bake at 400F (200C) for 15 to 20 minutes. Until bubbly hot and golden brown on top.
This is every bit as comforting and delicious as it looks. Can you really blame my guys for loving it as much as they do?
Kay’s Recipe Card
Click here for printable size.
I planned on having pioneer woman’s green pasta casserole today, but after seeing this there’s been a slight change of plans LOL. Thanks for posting.
This one looks so good.
Looks wonderful :) I think I might make this tonight – I have all the ingredients at home. It would probably be great with mushrooms / bell peppers as well… Hmmmm.. *ponders dinner*
Oh yum!! this looks so delicious right now. It doesn’t hurt that its lunchtime where i live either!
Yum…this looks delicious! I love to make vegetable gratins in the summer, but this recipe is clearly a complete meal.
This looks like the perfect comfort food dish – yum!
Another hit recipe! I’m SO glad you visited on Pioneer Woman, or I would never have found you! Now, I am hooked!
I love your photo displays for teaching us the steps, AND I adore your recipe card print outs! What program do you use to make them?!
I typo-ed my own name … oops… that’s what comes from rushing! I’m TriSh … Trish in MO!
:::blush:::
@Trish in MO:
This one is definitely great :)
They’re simply photoshop files!
yum yum…i’ll try this when the weather cools down a bit.
It’s too hot here to cook anything in the oven
It’s early morning and I just had brekkie, but this is making me hungry.
This looks delicious, I can’t wait to try it. I wonder if you have tried it with asparagus or any other veggies besides broccoli?
@Liz Brooks:
I’ve made it with cauliflower and peas before, but not with asparagus, no. No clue if it’s a good combination or not.
Made this yesterday for dinner. Was a big hit with my husband. Was great as leftovers for lunch today.
@Jennifer:
That’s what I forgot to mention. That the leftovers are great the next day.
Just made a modified version of this– went totally vegetarian: broccoli, peppers, onions, carrots, corn, mushrooms, all finely diced. Used your sauce though, with smoked gouda and a bit of jarlsberg and cheddar…. it was delicious and there’s SO much leftover!!
Comfort food at its best! I love casseroles like this, but I always make too much and can’t control myself with the leftovers :)
@Tim:
Join the club, Tim!
The worse part is the leftover are just as great, if not better :)
DAMN does that look great.. Love casseroles and cannot wait til the weather cools to make this one!
Yum, I want this in my mouth.
My husband would probably not be interested on account of the broccoli, but I bet if I made it for myself when he wasn’t home, he’d try the leftovers…
What a tasty sounding pasta! I like using sausage in pastas as they add a lot of flavour.
Kay your recipes look absolutely wonderful, found your site while looking for a roti dish…
Since I am a bit of a beginner cook, okay I’m 40ish and just cooked the same ole fare all the time or went to moms “frequently” for dinner : ) anywhooo… Can I use frozen broccoli or is it a must to use fresh. I have 2 gigantic bags of frozen in the freezer and need to use them up.
@Bridgette:
Thanks! Not at all! I wouldn’t fret about it and just use the frozen broccoli!
Making this tonight
nice post very interesting… looks great.