Italians love sformatino and frequently serve it as a first course. The types of sformatino vary with the season, with porcini mushroom, spinach, butternut squash, and chard being amongst the favorites. One thing the variations all have in common is a rich cream sauce that pairs well with red wine.

Broccoli Sformatino (Broccoli Flan) with Pecorino Cream Sauce

Serves 6
Prep time: 10 minutes plus 1 hour for broccoli to drain
Cook Time: 40 to 45 minutes

Sformatino

1 pound (500 grams) broccoli crowns, larger pieces halved
3 teaspoons (15 milliliters) butter, room temperature
3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) breadcrumbs, preferably homemade and semi-coarse
1 cup (250 milliliters) heavy cream, divided
5 large eggs
½ cup (120 milliliters) finely grated pecorino cheese
2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) grated Parmesan cheese, divided
½ teaspoon (2.5 milliliters) each salt and pepper

Sauce
¾ cup (185 milliliters) heavy cream
½ cup (120 milliliters) finely grated pecorino cheese
¼ cup (60 milliliters) grated Parmesan cheese
pinch grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon (2.5 milliliters) fresh lemon zest
pinch salt and pepper 

Directions

Sformatino

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add broccoli crowns and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Drain in a colander under cold water, then let drain for at least an hour. This can be done the day before, just cover and store in paper towels in a bowl in the refrigerator.

2. Butter 6 individual ramekins and evenly coat with the breadcrumbs. Place ramekins in a roasting or casserole pan with 2-inch (5-centimeter) sides. Set aside. Set aside 6 small broccoli florets for garnish. Place remaining broccoli in a mini blender with ¼ cup (60 milliliters) of the cream and puree until smooth. This can be done a day in advance and stored in closed container in refrigerator.

3. Preheat oven to 350° F (176° C). Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Place eggs in a bowl and beat with a fork. Add remaining cream, pecorino, 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) Parmesan, salt, pepper, and blended broccoli mixture. Stir to blend. Distribute amongst the ramekins. Top each one with remaining Parmesan.

4. Create a water bath by pouring enough boiling water into the pan to cover three-fourths of the sides of the ramekins, being careful not to splash any into the eggs. Place pan in the middle of the oven and bake until a knife inserted into the center of one ramekin comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes.

5. Remove from oven and use tongs and a hot pad to carefully remove ramekins from the roasting pan. Divide the sauce amongst individual serving plates, creating a circle larger than the sformatino. Reserve some sauce for garnish. One-by-one, run a knife around the edge of each sformatino and gently unmold it onto a small plate, then use your fingers to flip it over onto the sauced plate. Garnish flans with a spoonful of sauce and a reserved broccoli floret and serve.

Directions

Sauce

1. Place cream in a shallow sauté pan and, over medium-high temperature, reduce by half. Add cheeses, nutmeg, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook until cheese melts into sauce. Serve immediately with the flans, reserving a bit to use as a top garnish with the broccoli florets.

About Molesini Wine Club

This recipe was developed for Molesini Wine Club to be included in virtual tasting notes with wine shipments. Molesini Wine Club, based out of Cortona, Tuscany, features Italian wines that are otherwise unavailable outside of Europe. Marco and Paolo Molesini work closely with over 1,000 producers from across the country to ensure they are procuring the top labels from small producers making the finest boutique wines. Explore with them as they lead you through Tuscany, Piedmont, Sicily, and many lesser-known wine regions of their country. Members can customize shipments, decide on a tier that fits their palate best, and enjoy exclusive access to the most stunning wines of Italy. As a member of the Molesini Wine Club means becoming part of the Molesini family and we invite you to join us for this experience. For more information, please visit the Molesini Wine Club website.