I blanched & froze a lot of broccoli over the summer, and I’m always looking for recipes that will use it up. Here is a great dish I made today, after church. It was quick, easy and very good! I don’t really care much for mushrooms, so I tossed in left over chicken breasts, that I broke up in small pieces. I also crumbled crispy bacon over the top. YUM!
You will need:
1/2 lb. medium dry shells, cooked
8 ounces = 4 cups cooked
*You can use any pasta you like. I’ve used spaghetti noodles as well.
1/4 cup olive oil
8 ounces broccoli florets, steamed
*I used about 2 raw cups before steaming
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1/4 cup green onions, sliced thin (opt)
1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced (opt)
*I used shredded chicken pieces in place of the mushrooms
*Smokey ham or bacon would also be good
2 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped
Parmesan, grated
Bechamel Sauce:
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 quart milk
2 teaspoon chicken bouillon cubes, mashed
(so it dissolves faster)
Directions:
Bechamel Sauce: Melt butter in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Add milk and bouillon and stir vigorously with a wire whip until mixture barely comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, whipping frequently. Keep warm. Drain broccoli and divide in half. Chop 1/2 of florets into 1/4-inch pieces. Reserve. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and add olive oil. Add all the broccoli, garlic, green onions and mushrooms to the saute pan. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes or until mushrooms begin to turn golden. Add the sauteed veggies and parsley to the warm sauce and stir well. Serve over hot pasta with grated Parmesan.