Ingredients

250g penne

300g broccoli, cut into large florets

25g butter

25g plain flour

600ml milk

100g mascarpone

8 sundried tomatoes (preserved in olive oil), drained and thickly sliced

2 tbsp small capers (optional), rinsed to remove excess salt or vinegar

8 anchovy fillets, halved (optional)

10 large fresh basil leaves, roughly torn

4 fresh skinless salmon fillets

50g mature cheddar, finely grated

Instructions

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 190°C (gas mark 5, fan 170°C) and prepare a 20 by 30cm ovenproof dish about 5cm deep. Bring a large pan of water to a rapid boil, add a generous pinch of salt, then stir in the penne pasta. Cook for 6 minutes.

Step 2: Add the broccoli florets to the boiling pasta water and cook together for an additional 4 minutes until the broccoli is just tender but still firm. Drain well and set aside.

Step 3: While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a large pan. Stir in the flour and milk, whisking continuously over medium heat until the sauce thickens smoothly.

Step 4: Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the mascarpone, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, anchovies, and torn basil leaves. Add the drained pasta and broccoli to the sauce and season generously with salt and pepper.

Step 5: Slice each salmon fillet in half widthways along the natural divide. Arrange the salmon pieces in a single layer at the base of the prepared ovenproof dish.

Step 6: Spoon the pasta and broccoli mixture evenly over the salmon, then sprinkle the grated mature cheddar on top.

Step 7: Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, until the dish is bubbling around the edges and the top is pale golden. Avoid over-browning to keep the salmon tender and moist.

Tips & Variations

For a vegetarian option, omit the salmon and anchovies, and add extra sun-dried tomatoes and capers for flavor.

If you don’t have mascarpone, cream cheese or crème fraîche can be used instead for a similar creaminess.

Try replacing penne with rigatoni or fusilli to hold the sauce well and add texture.

Chilling the assembled dish for up to 4 hours before baking can help deepen the flavors and make it easier to prepare ahead of time.

FAQs

Can I use frozen broccoli instead of fresh?

Yes, frozen broccoli can be used. Add it to the boiling pasta water as directed, but reduce the cooking time slightly to avoid overcooking, as frozen broccoli tends to soften faster.

What can I substitute if I don’t have anchovies?

If you don’t have anchovies or prefer to avoid them, simply omit them from the recipe. The sun-dried tomatoes and capers still provide plenty of savory flavor.