Directions

1. Preheat oven on convection to 500 degrees.
2. Rinse broccoli under cold water and cut into florets.
3. Bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch broccoli for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour cooked broccoli into a colander to drain and place broccoli in an ice bath for 4 to 5 minutes. This blanching method will keep the broccoli vibrant in colour.
4. Heat 4 quarts of water seasoned with salt. Once the water comes a rolling boil, add pasta and cook for 2 minutes less than the package indicates. We want the pasta al dente because it will finish cooking in the oven. Once the pasta is done, rinse thoroughly under cold water to stop the cooking process and set aside.
5. In a small pot or microwave, heat milk until steamy to make your béchamel.
6. In a wide bottom pot melt butter until it starts to foam and whisk in flour, about two minutes. Pour in the hot milk and whisk vigorously. Once you have no lumps or clumps, stir in the rest of the dry ingredients. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
7. Whisk in the 2 cups of Sunny Dog Cheddar until smooth.
8. Stir in the broccoli and pasta until well combined. Pour pasta mixture into a greased casserole dish, top with bread crumbs and parmesan mixture, and place in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes and finish under the broiler until browned.