Broccoli casserole - broccoletti gratinati

1. Make a béchamel sauce with 1/4 cup of the butter, the milk, and the flour.

2. Rinse the broccoli florets and cut the stalks into quarter-inch (7 mm) rounds. Steam the florets and rounds until tender but not soft, about 15 minutes.

3. While the florets are steaming, butter a baking dish large enough to contain the broccoli, and preheat your oven to 400 F (200 C).

4. Remove the broccoli from the steamer, and separate the larger, tougher pieces from the tenderer ones. Blend the tougher pieces and combine them with the béchamel sauce, working the grated cheese and a pinch of nutmeg into the mixture. Check seasoning.

5. Put the broccoli in the baking pan, pour the béchamel sauce over it, and top it with the shredded fontina. Bake the casserole for 20 minutes and serve.

6. A wine? If you're serving this as a main course, you'll want a white, for example a Lugana or a Valcalepio Bianco.