This was Friday night dinner in our house. Really easy to put together, with heaps of flavour and you can even prep it up to 4 hours in advance and chill until you’re ready to bake. You could serve some salad on the side if you like but it works pretty good on its own.
Wine Suggestion: Fresh, minerally, Chardonnay is our go to wine for this. You need fresh acidity for the rich salmon and creamy sauce and a broadness on the palate to match the body of the dish. Today it’s the Ventenac Préjugés, 100% Chardonnay from a plot that exceeded the expectations and prejudices of the winemaker, being atypical Languedoc; all freshness, juiciness and minerality.
Broccoli & salmon bake – serves 4
- 250g penne pasta
- 300g broccoli, cut into large florets
- 25g butter
- 25g plain flour
- 600ml full cream milk
- 100g mascarpone
- 8 sun-dried tomatoes preserved in oil, drained and thickly sliced
- 2 tbsp small capers, rinsed (optional)
- 10 large basil leaves, roughly torn
- 4 fresh skinless salmon fillets
- 50g mature cheddar, finely grated
Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas 5/170C.
Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water for 6 minutes, then add the broccoli and time another 4 minutes when the water returns to the boil. Drain.
Meanwhile, put the butter, flour, and milk in a very large saucepan and heat, whisking the whole time, until it thickens enough to make a smooth sauce. Remove from the heat and stir in the mascarpone, sun-dried tomatoes, capers and basil, then add the drained broccoli & pasta and season well.
Halve the salmon fillets widthways to give you shorter stubby pieces and put into the a large baking dish in a single layer. Spoon the pasta and broccoli mixture over the top, then scatter with the cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes or until starting to bubble at the edges. Don’t be tempted to brown it too much or you will overcook the fish.
(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)
Jono & Jules do food & wine 
Wow! I need to cook this 😋