Pasta in a creamy white brie sauce with mushrooms, bacon, and broccoli
Pasta dishes are ones I turn to when I need a quick and easy meal. Just because they are relatively quick does not mean they have to lack in flavor though! With so many types of cheeses, vegetables, and sauces to choose from, there are many versatile and scrumptious pasta dishes. This one, features Brie as the main cheese in its cream sauce. Not only does Brie lend its smooth creaminess to the white sauce, but it’s earthy, nutty notes pair so well with the roast mushrooms and broccoli. With bits of salty bacon mixed in for a bit of crunch, you will be coming back for seconds.
Brie is not always a cheese I have on hand. You can of course go out and buy some specifically for this recipe, but I personally think it is a great way to use up leftover brie from charcuterie boards or other appetizers. Camembert cheese would also work perfectly as a substitute for brie.
The other secret to this recipe’s deliciousness is the roasting of the vegetables. The crispness and flavors developed during the roasting process elevate this dish and add a wonderful complexity to its flavor. It’s so easy to pop the vegetables in to roast while you cook the other ingredients, yet the reward for the added flavor is so high.
Roasting the vegetables is actually the first step in this recipe. After cutting up your vegetables, you give them a good coat in olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Then roast at 400 degrees Fahrenheit while you boil water (with salt) and pasta and make the sauce.
The sauce begins with bacon. Chop bacon into pieces and fry until nice and crispy. Then add flour and stir to combine with the bacon fat, essentially making a roux but with bacon drippings instead of butter. After that the sauce is simple – cook on low heat with milk, and seasonings until thick and then melt in the cheese. You are left with a wonderful brie and bacon sauce. If your sauce gets a little too thick while you are working on finishing up the pasta and vegetables, don’t worry – just add a bit of milk in to thin it out and your sauce will be perfect again.
With your pasta boiled, your sauce made, and your vegetables roasted, all you have left to do is stir them together and enjoy the results! If you want to add a garnish, fry a little extra bacon to sprinkle on top at the end. A nice green salad or garlic bread will pair well with this meal, but personally I most frequently enjoy it on its own.
– The Recipe –
Broccoli & Brie Fusilli
prep time: 10 min
total time: 35 min
makes: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 crowns of broccoli
- 2 c quartered button mushrooms
- olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt, plus more for boiling pasta and sprinkling on the vegetables
- 3/4 lb of dried rotini pasta
- 5 slices of bacon
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 3/4 c milk
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1/4 c of pasta water
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Chop the broccoli crowns into bite sized florets and combine with the quartered mushrooms on a sheet pan.
- Drizzle the vegetables with enough oil completely coat them and sprinkle with salt. Mix to make sure the vegetables are evenly coated.
- Place vegetables in the oven and roast for 20-25 minutes, until the broccoli is tender and beginning to brown slightly.
- While the vegetables roast, boil water for the pasta and cook, following the package instructions until just tender. Drain when cooked reserving some of the cooking water for the sauce.
- While the pasta is cooking, chop the bacon into small pieces and fry in a large skillet on medium heat.
- Once crispy, sprinkle in the flour, salt, garlic, and onion powder, and stir to coat.
- Add the milk and pasta water and on medium low heat stir until thick.
- Remove the rind from the brie and add the brie to the sauce and stir on low heat until melted. If the sauce is too thick, thin with milk added a tablespoon at a time.
- Mix the pasta and vegetables into the sauce, stirring to coat.
- Serve immediately. Pairs well with a fresh green salad or garlic bread.
Apricity 