Creamy Broccoli & Fennel Casserole

Ingredients

8 oz Mafalda Pasta

4 oz Fontina Cheese

¾ cup Low-Fat Milk

2 cloves Garlic

1 bulb Fennel

1 Lemon

½ lb Broccoli

3 Tbsps All-Purpose Flour

½ cup Panko Breadcrumbs

¼ cup Grated Pecorino Cheese

1 Tbsp Creamy Casserole Spice Blend (Ground Yellow Mustard, Ground Fennel Seeds & Ground Bay Leaves)

Directions

1 Cook the pasta

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling on high. Once boiling, add the pasta. Cook 13 to 15 minutes, or until al dente (still slightly firm to the bite). Reserving 1½ cups of the pasta cooking water, drain thoroughly. Rinse and dry the pot.

2 Prepare the ingredients

While the pasta cooks, wash and dry the fresh produce. Peel and mince the garlic. Cut off and discard the fennel stems; small dice the bulb. Using a peeler, remove the rind of the lemon, avoiding the pith; mince the rind to get 2 teaspoons of zest (or use a zester). Quarter and deseed the lemon. Cut the broccoli into small florets. Cut off and discard the rind of the Fontina cheese; small dice.

3 Cook the aromatics

In the pot used to cook the pasta, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the garlic and fennel; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 4 minutes, or until softened and fragrant.

4 Make the béchamel sauce & add the broccoli

Add the flour, spice blend and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pot of aromatics. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until the flour is golden and the spices are fragrant. Add the milk and reserved pasta cooking water; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 4 minutes, or until thoroughly combined and slightly thickened. Add the broccoli, Fontina cheese and lemon zest; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 4 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender and the sauce has thickened. Remove from heat.

5 Finish the filling & assemble the casserole

Off the heat, stir the cooked pasta into the pot of vegetables and béchamel sauce; season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the finished filling to a baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and pecorino cheese. Stir in the juice of all 4 lemon wedges and enough olive oil to moisten the mixture; season with salt and pepper to taste. Evenly top the casserole with the breadcrumb-pecorino cheese mixture.

6 Bake the casserole & serve your dish:

Place the assembled casserole in the oven and bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown and slightly crispy on top. Remove from the oven and let stand for 2 minutes before serving. Enjoy!