Kay's Pasta Gratin (gluten free version)

This recipe is from Kay, and as is usual with her recipes, it's awesome!! It was very easy to modify to be gluten free.

Ingredients:

1 pound sausage (I used gluten free Italian sausage)
1 pound broccoli
1 medium onion
2 garlic cloves
4 tbsp chicken broth
1/2 pound gluten free shell pasta
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
gluten free breadcrumbs
grated Parmesan

Cheese Sauce:

3 tbsp butter
3-5 tbsp sweet rice flour
3 cups milk
4 oz cheese
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
cayenne
pepper

Directions:

Mince the onion and grate or mince the garlic cloves. Cut the broccoli in small florets. (You could also make this dish with cauliflower btw.)

Heat a tsp of olive oil and cook the onions in a large skillet, over medium heat, for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add 2 tsp oregano and 1 tsp dried basil to the onions. Cook for an additional minute to get the flavors going.

Remove casings from the Italian sausages and add the sausage to the pan; break it up with a spatula. Cook over low to medium heat, until it starts to lose its rawness.

In the mean time cook the pasta. You can use any type of gluten free shell pasta for this. Cook the pasta in salted water according to the instructions on the package.

If there’s a lot of fat coming out of the sausage, drain it. Add the broccoli and cook for a few minutes while stirring. Spoon in 4 tbsp chicken (or vegetable broth), pop the lid on and simmer the meat and broccoli over low heat for about 5 minutes.

Time to whip up the sauce. Heat 3 oz butter and add 5 slightly heaping tbsp flour. Cook for a minute to neutralize the rawness of the flour.

Pour in 2 cups of milk and keep a third cup nearby. Bring the sauce to a boil while gently stirring. Bit by bit, add the third cup of milk until you reach a consistency you like. You may or may not use all of that third cup.

Spike the sauce with 2 tsp Dijon mustard and add salt to taste—I’ve added 1 tsp salt, just keep in mind we’ll also be adding cheese! Let the sauce simmer, over very low heat, for a few minutes.

The pasta and meat should be done by now. Drain the pasta and remove the meat from the stove and set aside.

Finish the sauce with pepper, a good pinch of cayenne and the grated cheese. You can use Parmesan, Gouda, Gruyere or even cheddar for this. Any type of cheese you like. Or be adventurous and mix two types of cheese (I have used a mixture of Parmesan and white cheddar).

Now either add the pasta to the meat & broccoli in the skillet, or add the meat and broccoli to the pasta pot, or even transfer things to an oven dish and mix it there. Your call.

After the pasta, meat and broccoli mixture are well blended, dump it all into a 13" by 9" non-stick baking pan and pour the cheese sauce over all. Yum!!

Sprinkle some gluten free breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan on top of everything.

Put the pasta in a preheated oven and bake at 400F (200C) for 15 to 20 minutes until bubbly hot and golden brown on top.

I've made this recipe twice now, and it is FANTASTIC! My family loves it!