Broccoli with cheese and wholemeal pasta and brown breadcrumbs

• wholemeal pasta↗300g short g

  shapes

• broccoli↗800g g

  (about 3 heads), cut into large florets

• olive oil↗2 tbsp tbsp
• milk↗1.2 litres l
• bay leaf↗1

  slightly rolled

• butter↗60g g
• plain flour↗60g g
• cheddar↗200g g

  grated

• Dijon mustard↗1 tbsp tbsp
• nutmeg↗¼ tsp freshly grated tsp

  freshly grated

• fresh brown breadcrumbs↗60g g

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Fill a large pot with salted water, bring to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente – this will take a few minutes less than the time indicated on the package. Halfway through cooking, add the broccoli to the pot. Drain the water, then toss the pasta and broccoli with oil to coat them.

2. 2

   While the pasta and broccoli are cooking, bring the milk to a gentle boil together with the bay leaf in a separate saucepan, then remove from heat and set aside. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add the flour and whisk. Reduce the heat to medium‑low and cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture comes together and begins to stick to the bottom.

3. 3

   Gradually pour in the warm infused milk, whisking constantly to avoid lumps, then lower the heat to minimum and cook for 8‑10 minutes until the sauce thickens and becomes smooth. Remove from heat and add three‑quarters of the cheese, mustard (more can be added to taste), nutmeg, plenty of black pepper and a pinch of salt. Remove the bay leaf. Preheat the oven to 180 °C/160 °C with convection/gas 4.

4. 4

   Place the cooked pasta and broccoli in a large baking dish (ours was 30 × 22 cm) and pour the sauce over them. Sprinkle the remaining cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake for 30‑35 minutes until golden‑brown and bubbling. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.