A creamy, flavorful pasta bake with broccoli and cheese, all cooked in one dish without boiling the pasta first.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time1 hourhr
Total Time1 hourhr10 minutesmins
Course: Main
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Easy
Servings: 4servings
Equipment
13x9 inch baking dish
Aluminum Foil
Ingredients
Ingredients
7.5ozwhipped chive or garlic & herb cream cheese
12ozdry pasta (rotini, penne, cellentani, or fusilli)
2-3cupsfresh broccoli florets, chopped into bite-sized pieces
2cupsshredded cheddar cheese (medium or sharp), divided
1-2teaspoonsseasoning salt (or salt and pepper, to taste)
3tablespoonsolive oil
4cupschicken broth (regular or low-sodium)
2/3cupheavy cream
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) so it’s nice and hot for baking.
In a 13×9-inch baking dish, place the whipped cream cheese right in the center—it’ll melt and blend beautifully as everything cooks.
Scatter the uncooked dry pasta evenly around the cream cheese. Add your chopped broccoli florets over the pasta for plenty of vibrant color and healthy crunch.
Sprinkle half of the shredded cheddar cheese over everything. This adds a gooey, cheesy layer.
Season the whole dish with 1–2 teaspoons of seasoning salt, or just use salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle olive oil evenly across the top.
Carefully pour the chicken broth over the entire dish, making sure the pasta is just submerged so it cooks evenly.
Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and place it in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, remove the foil, give the pasta a good stir, and re-cover with foil. Return it to the oven and bake for another 30 minutes so the pasta softens and soaks up that savory flavor.
Uncover the dish, stir in the remaining cheddar cheese, and pour in the heavy cream. Mix until the cheese fully melts into the sauce and everything looks rich and creamy.
Let the pasta bake rest for about 5 minutes before serving. This gives it time to thicken and makes serving a breeze.
Notes
This dish pairs beautifully with a crisp green salad or garlic bread. For extra nutrition, add a roasted vegetable medley.