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Salmon Pasta Bake

Move over tuna-noodle casserole!

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We love casseroles in our house, and an old stand-by was tuna-noodle casserole. But not anymore! This salmon and broccoli bake is one of our favorites. The pink salmon cooks under a rich cheese sauce and the bright green of the broccoli adds a nice pop of color, texture, and flavor. As a bonus, this comfort food meal is super easy to prepare, then pop it in the oven for a quick and tasty weeknight dinner.

The trick to the creamy cheese sauce in this recipe is a good roux. We like to cook our flour in melted butter and oil until it browns and smells a bit nutty, which creates a savory and rich base for our sauce. A rich cheesy sauce hides the fact that we’ve snuck in some broccoli because a veggie covered in cheese is always a good idea! This dish is soooo comforting, and one that we know will satisfy our hungry bunch. We’ve grown out of our tuna-noodle casserole phase and moved on to something a little richer.

Yield(s): Serves 4

50 minutes

5.0
Rated 5.0 out of 5
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Ingredients
  • 8 ounces uncooked penne pasta
  • 1 head broccoli, cut into florets
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 1 1/2 pounds salmon, skin removed and cut into 1" chunks
  • 1 (8 oz) package mascarpone cheese, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese blend
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
  • 1 medium garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Preparation
  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat 9x9-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Place salmon in bottom of pan and season with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning. Set aside.
  2. Boil pasta in a large pot over high heat for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add broccoli and cook until pasta is al dente. Drain and pour on top of salmon.
  3. Melt butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with flour and cook 1-2 minutes or until browned.
  4. Whisk in half-and-half and heat until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add mascarpone and Italian cheese blend; add salt and pepper, to taste. Stir until smooth and creamy.
  5. Pour cheese sauce over salmon and pasta. Top with Parmesan cheese.
  6. Bake for 30 minutes or until top is browned, cheese is bubbly and salmon is cooked through.

Recipe adapted from BBC Good Food


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