Mac-n-Cheese-n-Spin-occolini Bake
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings
- Total: 45 min
- Prep: 25 min
- Cook: 20 min
Ingredients
1 box chopped frozen spinach
Salt
1 pound cavatappi, hollow corkscrew pasta or other short cut pasta
1 bunch broccolini, trimmed and chopped into 2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk
Black pepper
Nutmeg, grated, to taste
1 cup grated provolone
1 cup shredded Asiago
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Directions
- Defrost spinach in microwave. Wring out and separate, reserve.
- While the spinach defrosts, bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium heat for the pasta and a pan with a few inches of water to a boil over medium heat for the broccolini. Salt the boiling water and cook pasta to just-shy of al dente. Cook the broccolini for 3 minutes, then shock in a bowl of cold water and drain well.
- Return the pan that you cooked the broccolini in, to the stove top over medium heat and add 3 tablespoons butter. When the butter has melted, whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the milk and whisk to combine. Cook the sauce for 5 minutes, to thicken, then season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, to taste. Reduce the heat to low. When pasta is almost ready, and the provolone and Asiago cheeses to the sauce.
- Heat the broiler or the oven to high.
- In a large bowl, combine the pasta with the spinach, broccolini and sauce. Transfer to individual flameproof casseroles or a large flameproof single casserole dish. Top with the Parmesan cheese and brown under the broiler or in hot oven for a couple of minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.