A comforting pasta casserole loaded with vegetables that can be made ahead during the weekend, for those busy weeknight dinners! #meatlessmonday
What is the first thing (or one of the first things!) that comes to your mind when you think of weeknight dinners?!? A casserole! Even better if it is a pasta casserole. And a whole lot more better if it has lot of vegetables in it – all mixed with the saucy yet stretchy cheese. It is a perfect option for a meatless monday dinner. And the best part (yes, there is one more) is that you can make this ahead over the weekend and have one less thing to think about on that particularly long day of a Monday, especially when all you want to do is to finish feeding the family and yourself and collapse into your bed.
All you need to do is to get back home, pop the casserole into the oven, put on some music, pour yourself a glass of wine and pretend it is Friday. Ok ok, I think I forgot the kids. Well, I tried.
Spinach Broccoli Pasta Casserole – The Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 cups bow tie pasta or any other short pasta
- enough water to cook the pasta
- 2 tablespoon grapeseed oil or butter + 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 tablespoon flour
- 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup shredded cheddar
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- 2 cups chopped spinach
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
- ¼ cup grated parmesan
- ¼ cup bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon minced parsley
Method:
Cook the pasta in salted water, take it out before it gets al dente, drain and keep aside.
In a heavy bottomed pan, heat the oil and add the flour to it and whisk well till well incorporated and the color changes ever so slightly. Add the vegetable broth to it and once it thickens, add the cheeses and switch off heat.
In a separate pan, heat the 1 tablespoon oil and saute the spinach and broccoli till the spinach wilts. Add garlic powder, salt, pepper and the red chili flakes.
Preheat the oven to 350F. In an oven proof casserole, mix the drained pasta, cheese sauce and sautéed vegetables. Mix the extra parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and parsley and top the casserole with it. Bake for 20 mins or so, until the cheese starts to melt on top.
Serve warm.
Tip: To make ahead, do not bake in the oven. Follow steps till you top the casserole with the cheese – bread crumbs mix and pop in the refrigerator or freezer. Bring to almost room temperature before putting it in the oven.
- 2 cups bow tie pasta or any other short pasta
- enough water to cook the pasta
- 2 tablespoon grapeseed oil or butter + 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 tablespoon flour
- 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup shredded cheddar
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- 2 cups chopped spinach
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
- ¼ cup grated parmesan
- ¼ cup bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon minced parsley
- Cook the pasta in salted water, take it out before it gets al dente, drain and keep aside.
- In a heavy bottomed pan, heat the oil and add the flour to it and whisk well till well incorporated and the color changes ever so slightly. Add the vegetable broth to it and once it thickens, add the cheeses and switch off heat.
- In a separate pan, heat the 1 tablespoon oil and saute the spinach and broccoli till the spinach wilts. Add garlic powder, salt, pepper and the red chili flakes.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. In an oven proof casserole, mix the drained pasta, cheese sauce and sautéed vegetables. Mix the extra parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and parsley and top the casserole with it. Bake for 20 mins or so, until the cheese starts to melt on top.
- Serve warm.
- Tip: To make ahead, do not bake in the oven. Follow steps till you top the casserole with the cheese – bread crumbs mix and pop in the refrigerator or freezer. Bring to almost room temperature before putting it in the oven.
Erin @ Thanks for Cookin'! says
I'm such a sucker for a crumb topping on a casserole.....delicious! And I like the addition of red chili flakes, too! My husband doesn't really do the "meatless" thing, but he can grill up a chicken breast for himself to eat along side, can't he? 🙂
Manju says
I love how you think, Erin! This recipe is so versatile, you can add some shredded chicken breast to this easily and call it a family meal for everyone, if you wish to.
cheryl@neuroticbaker says
This is going to be the perfect meal for sneaking another veggie into my son's diet! It looks delicious 🙂
Manju says
Absolutely! and thank you 🙂
Lindsey | Lou Lou Biscuit says
I'm all about the cheesy casserole! This looks amazing, and I love that it's loaded with veggies 🙂 The pictures are making me drool.
Manju says
Thank you very much, Lindsey!