Creamy mushroom, sprout and chestnut pasta bake

Name: Creamy mushroom, sprout and chestnut pasta bake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: Serves 2-3
Ingredients: 180g dried paccheri or other large pasta shape; 50g unsalted butter; 200g brussels sprouts, any brown outer leaves removed, then halved; 200g chestnut mushrooms, halved; 4 thyme sprigs; 200g chestnut purée; 250ml whole milk; 1 tsp dijon mustard; 50g parmesan or vegetarian equivalent, finely grated; Pinch freshly ground nutmeg; ½ tsp cider vinegar; 125g mozzarella, torn (drained weight); 100g vacuum-packed cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped

By: Pollyanna Coupland
Food producer, delicious.

Published: 23 Dec 22
Updated: 18 Mar 24

Test kitchen approved

‘Pasta bake’ never elicits the most excited of reactions, does it? This dish, however, shows just how incredible a PB can be. Sprouts and chestnuts are two incredible ingredients we often forget about post-Christmas; use them alongside mushrooms, thyme and cheese for a knockout winter warmer.

Check out more hearty winter pasta recipes.

Serves 2-3
Hands-on time 20 min. Oven time 20 min

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Ingredients

180g dried paccheri or other large pasta shape
50g unsalted butter
200g brussels sprouts, any brown outer leaves removed, then halved
200g chestnut mushrooms, halved
4 thyme sprigs
200g chestnut purée
250ml whole milk
1 tsp dijon mustard
50g parmesan or vegetarian equivalent, finely grated
Pinch freshly ground nutmeg
½ tsp cider vinegar
125g mozzarella, torn (drained weight)
100g vacuum-packed cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped

Method

Heat the oven to 180°C fan/gas 6 and bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Cook the pasta for 8-10 minutes until al dente, then drain.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium-high heat, then add the sprouts, mushrooms and half the thyme. Cook for around 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and cooked through. Discard the thyme.
While the sprouts and mushrooms cook, Add the chestnut pureé and milk to a saucepan over a medium heat. Whisk until smooth and steaming hot, then stir in the mustard and parmesan and season with the nutmeg, cider vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Fold the sprouts, mushrooms and half the chestnuts through the sauce, then stir in the pasta. Transfer to an oven dish, sprinkle over the torn mozzarella and remaining chestnuts and bake for 20 minutes. Add the leaves from the remaining thyme sprigs, season with a final crack of pepper and serve.

Recipe from January 2023 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 759kcals
Fat: 34.1g (20.3g saturated)
Protein: 30.3g
Carbohydrates: 78.3g (13.7g sugars)
Fibre: 9g
Salt: 1.2g

delicious. tips

Traditional bechamel is creamy and comforting, but doesn’t deliver much in the flavour stakes. It’s ripe for infusing with flavour – we’ve gone for chestnut here (the purée works as a substitute for the traditional flour and butter-based roux) but simmering the milk with whatever you fancy can turn it into the star of the show. Experiment with garlic, herb or spice-infused milk, which can then be whisked into a roux to create a cacophony of comforting flavoured sauces.

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Creamy mushroom, sprout and chestnut pasta bake

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