Yesterday was one of those magical days where I tried three new recipes and all three were big-time keepers! You know when you feel so fortunate that a certain recipe came your way because it’s almost too delicious to be true? I’m really looking forward to sharing these new recipes with you this week.

But I am MOST excited about what I made for dinner last night. It’s like Bon Appetit delved into my head and took all of my favorite flavors and techniques and created the perfect comfort food just for me. Maybe it’s kind of antiquated and 1950s-ish, but I tend to like a good casserole. There’s something about a bubbly dish being removed from the oven in complete-meal format that just appeals to me.

There are a lot of bad casseroles out there. And maybe this Baked Penne with Broccoli and Three Cheeses doesn’t even count as a casserole technically. But Daniel and I both loved it instantly because of the classic Italian flavors, moist pasta, creamy cheesiness, crunchy broccoli, and addictive tastiness of everything put together in one dish.

I changed it a bit from the Bon Appetit version by using whole wheat pasta and sprinkling toasted pine nuts on top after it emerged from the oven. My husband has lately been on a campaign to rid our kitchen of whole wheat pasta. When we were both working to lose weight last year, he was fine with it. But now he’s decided that it just doesn’t compare to regular pasta and he’s having none of it! But I honestly think I could have tricked him with this dish because you really can’t tell that it’s WW pasta at all. There’s so much moisture and so many great flavors, he never would have known! As for the pine nuts, well… I just think that everything’s made better with the addition of toasted nuts.

BAKED PENNE WITH BROCCOLI AND THREE CHEESES
Adapted from Bon Appetit January 2003
Serves 4 (generously)

2 teaspoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups penne pasta
3 cups 1-inch broccoli florets

2 cups purchased marinara sauce
1 cup (packed) coarsely grated low-fat mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Stir oil and garlic in small skillet over medium heat 1 minute; set aside. Cook penne in large pot of boiling salted water until almost tender, about 11 minutes. Add broccoli; cook 1 minute. Drain.

Mix marinara, 1/2 cup mozzarella, ricotta, basil, 1 tablespoon Parmesan, and sautéed garlic in large bowl. Add pasta and broccoli; toss. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to 11×7x2-inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and Parmesan over.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake pasta uncovered until cheese melts, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with pine nuts. Let stand 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy!