Hi! Guys! Today I want to share with you a recipe I tried out of Laura Vitale’s new recipe book. I am loving this recipe book, I ordered it on pre-order in July to make sure I got one when it released on October 4, 2015. Every recipe I have tried out of this book so far has been amazing. I learned about her from her you tube channel: Laura in the Kitchen. She also has a website where  you can get her recipes. I purchased this first cookbook of hers off of Amazon. I will share a link with you at the end of this post if you want to check it out!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound dried corkscrew pasta (I used garden rotini)
• 2 1/2 cups coarsely chopped broccoli florets ( I used fresh broccoli)
• 3/4 stick of butter (cut into 1 Tablespoon slices)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk (I used 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1 1/2 cups of 1% milk)
• 1 Tablespoon dry mustard
• 2 cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese ( I grated my own mild cheddar cheese)
• Salt & Pepper to taste ( I used 1 tsp of each)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano plus more for topping
• 1/4 cup fresh or dried plain bread crumbs (I used Italian style bread crumbs)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter or spray an 8 x 12-inch baking dish.
2. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and broccoli. Cook until the pasta is al dente, following the package instructions. Drain the pasta and broccoli and return to pot.
3. Meanwhile, put a medium (3-quart) saucepan over medium heat. Add 4 Tablespoons of the butter, wait for it to melt, then stir in the flour. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute to cook off the raw flour taste. Pour in the milk in a slow stream while whisking constantly. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce has the consistency of heavy cream, 4 to 5 minutes.  Add the mustard and Cheddar cheese, stirring in a figure eight motion, until most of the cheese has melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Add the sauce and the 1/2 cup parmigiano to the pasta, mixing to coat pasta evenly. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan.
5. In a small bowl, melt the remaining 2 Tablespoons butter. Stir in the bread crumbs and then scatter the crumbs over the top of the pasta. Grate a bit more parmigiano over the top.
6. Bake until the sauce is bubbly and the top is golden brown and crispy, 20-25 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes before serving.

I made this Saturday night for me and my husband and it was so delicious! If I a very novice cook can make her recipes, anyone can!! This recipe definitely works! I will have a video up on my youtube channel: Beth Graves (Beth, Beauty and More) this Thursday, October 29, 2015 showing me and my husband cooking this recipe. Hope to see you there.

If you would like to take a closer look at her recipe book here is the my link: Laura in the Kitchen: Favorite Italian-American Recipes Made Easy