This baked penne, broccoli and ricotta dish is great for weeknights and potlucks. Leave the chicken sausage out to make it vegetarian.
Happy National Pasta Day, friends! In honor of today’s holiday, I have a very tasty and easy pasta dish to share with you.
I made this dish with the help of this gorgeous Lagostina Martellata Hammered Copper Pastaiola Set.
I’ve used this pot for all manner of blanching, steaming, and cooking by now (it also happens to work well as a canning pot for half pint jars!) and have taken to leaving it on the stove between uses, because I so enjoy seeing it there in all its gleaming glory.
The recipe I’m sharing with you today puts this pot to work twice. First, I use it to blanch off a bunch of chopped broccoli. Once it’s cooked, I use the same water to cook the whole wheat penne.
While the broccoli cooks, I browned some chicken sausage in a little olive oil and then drained it on a plate. Once the broccoli is bright green and tender, it gets drained and poured into the pan where the sausage had cooked.
From there, it’s a matter of building a sauce of pressed garlic and ricotta cheese. I wrap it up by adding the cooked sausage back in, along with the pasta, a healthy splash of pasta water, and a generous handful of grated parmesan cheese. Finally, it gets popped into the oven to melt the cheese and crisp the edges of the pasta.
I love having a petite pasta pot like this one in my kitchen, because it allows me to stay at the stove, rather than dripping water between the sink and the stove. I’ve long had a larger pasta pot, but rarely pulled it out because it was just too much for my regular weeknight cooking. This one is just so much more functional for my household.
Disclosure: Lagostina sent me this pasta pot to use and write about. No additional compensation was provided. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Baked Penne, Broccoli, and Ricotta
Ingredients
- 1 pound broccoli florets and stems, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 pound chicken sausage
- 12 ounces short whole wheat pasta
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Fill a pasta pot with water and bring it to a boil. Once it boils, salt the water well and add the broccoli. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until it turns a vivid green.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken sausage from its casing and brown in the pan, using a spatula to break it up into crumbles. Once it is brown, use a slotted spoon and transfer the cooked pasta onto a paper towel-lined plate.
- Tumble the cooked broccoli into the pan that had once held the sausage and reduce the heat to medium. Bring the water in the pasta pot back to a boil and add the pasta.
- Add the garlic to the broccoli, along with the ricotta cheese and the drained sausage. Stir to combine.
- When the pasta is finished cooking, drain it and pour it into the pan with the other ingredients. Stir to combine and add 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese, along with 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water.
- Season with salt and pepper, and add more pasta water, if it is too thick.
- Top with the remaining parmesan cheese. Slide the pan under the broiler to brown the top.
I’ve always known that you need to mix the cooked pasta into the sauce and save the pasta water to add some in if needed. For years I’ve been using a spider to lift out my pasta, scoop by scoop. This beautiful pot would make the process so much easier!
I would use this pot for pasta, soups, stews, and also for steaming veggies, dumplings, etc. I would also use it as a nice decorative piece in my kitchen.
We eat a lot of pasta in my house- that would be the main use. One of my favorites is bow tie pasta with basil pesto.
It is so gorgeous I’d consider it “working art” for my stovetop!
Oh my goodness! What a beautiful pot! How would I use it? Why, I’d use it almost daily, (at least 5 days a week) to cook pasta and vegetables, as my husband’s favorite dishes all start with pasta and he loves fresh vegetables! ?
I would use the pot to make homemade stock and soups.
That is so lovely. I love Italian food so pasta would be what I would do most but also lots of veggies. My daughter’s would love it also.
I would use this pot make small batches of soup with all of the delicious winter squash and hearts greens that are currently showing up in my CSA:)
We eat a lot of pasta in my household! I would use it to cook pasta, for canning and just leaving on the stove when I am not using it because it would look so beautiful….
What to cook: Pasta, Chili, a variety of different Soups, Beef Stew, and Pickled Green Tomato Relish for canning. The Green Tomato Relish needs to cook for two hours before canning. It is so important to have good cookware in your kitchen.
I would use the pot to cook pasta (obviously) But the idea of using it for canning half pint jars really adds to my desire for it. I am sure I would also use it for a number of other cooking chores.
I love the idea of using the water from cooking the veggies for then cooking the pasta – layers of flavor!
I love the idea of using it to blanch vegetables. It would be a great addition to my canning setup.
To not have to drag the pot to the sink to drain would be so nice. Will makes many pasta dishes with it.
It’s a *beautiful* pot! I’d use it for anything and everything!
I would start b making this gorgeous looking Penne, Broccoli and Ricotta dish…yum!
Making my homemade gnocchi with pumpkin sage sauce
My mom’s favorite pasta..she made the best❤️
I’m relearning how to cook pasta using gluten free varieties as I’ve become gluten intolerant. And as you do, Marisa, I would leave it on the stove – what a beautiful pot!
pasta with arugula pesto.
What a beautiful pot! I could use this for blanching veggies, cooking pasta, and lobster tails too.
Soup, pasta and use for flower arrangements. Love the hammered copper.
To
make the wonderful sounding pasta broccoli ricotta bake
I would use this pot to dress up my kitchen and to cook my homemade pasta.
Lots of soups, stews and chowders and of course pasta.
Beautiful pot.
Beautiful cooking pot. It’s to pretty to store away in the cupboard. That is one that will have to sit out on my stove or counter.
I probably would use it for cooking pasta and for blanching fresh veggies so that I can bag and freeze them fresh vegetables.
Thanks for a great looking recipe and also for this giveaway opportunity
Art and function in the kitchen, love it!!!
We have pasta at least twice a week, and this would be wonderful for blanching veggies – and it is beautiful!
Great looking pot to make all sorts of delicious things – soups, pasta, veggies,
I’d use it to make a wonderful meal and invite you!
I’d use this to cook the lasagna pasta for my roasted vegetable lasagna.
Making all kinds of pasta and then a wonderful sauce to add the pasta to..Thank You for this fabulously giveaway!
All sorts of pasta dishes come to mind especially rigatoni with broccoli. What a gorgeous pot.
Gorgeous pot! We make a skinny alfredo, with broccoli & sausage too, and love ravioli, and bolognaise, and all kinds of pasta!
I’m a grad student, so lots of pasta and some small batch preserves. I can fruits and vegetables as a break from school.
What a beautiful pot. Definatlely should be kept out. It would have come in handy tonight for my gnocchi. It would be great for any pasta, vege, canning, soup making adventures!
I just love utilitarian items that are so aesthetically pleasing! Ideal size for a single with leftovers, and what a kitchen upgrade!..I’d leave it on the stove, too.
That is one lovely pot. I would use it to up my pasta game and do more from scratch.
I really need a pot like this for blanching smaller quantities of vegetables and for cooking pasta (I don’t have a decent medium-size pot and I rarely cook for more than two).
If I won, I’d save the pot for a wedding gift for my cousin…getting married June of 2017!
My husband makes fresh pasta often– it is sooo much better than dried. We have friends over for meals centered around his pasta and the sides they bring. This pot would truly compliment his wonderfully delicious pasta. What a beautiful pot for any cook!
id make pasta or soup or some corn in it such a quailty pan and so many uses
I would put it into my new pot from kit. It probably has a unique sound.
I’d make green beans with garlic and dill, ham steaks, and boiled red potatoes with plenty of salted butter
This is a perfect pot for blanching stir-fry vegetables.
Great recipe and pretty pot. I would use it to make soup
You mean besides leave it in my will to my favorite relative? 🙂 I’d certainly use it for pasta, potatoes, green beans, broccoli or anything that I wanted out of the water promptly.
I’d use it to make lasagna and soup.
I would also leave it on the stove as it is beautiful. Would love to try this recipe in it
I love the hammered look. I would use it for pasta and to steam vegetables.
Beautiful! I would love to make soup in it