finocchi al forno con parmigiano

I believe that fennel is a very underrated and underused vegetable in America. We most often see it shaved raw in salads, which highlights its sharp anise flavor. Perhaps this is too overpowering for some palettes though. But I’m here to show you a new way – roasted fennel with parmigiano reggiano breadcrumbs!

Fennel is transformed once it bakes in the oven. The texture softens and the flavor becomes more mild and sweet. There are still hints of the liquorice taste, but it’s much more subtle than when the fennel is eaten raw.

This crispy roasted fennel with breadcrumbs recipe elevates all the amazing qualities of the fennel by gratineeing it with breadcrumbs mixed with parmigiano reggiano. Now we have a contrast between the soft fennel and it’s crunchy crust topping. Truly addicting!

Fennel is actually a perennial herb in the carrot family. It blooms beautiful yellow flowers with wispy, feathery leaves that look similar to dill. The variety that is most common in the culinary world is called Florence fennel. This variety grows an edible bulb that we often treat as a vegetable, as in this recipe. The seeds (which are technically called fruits) and the leaves are also edible and very flavorful. Also a fun bonus – fennel is high in dietary fiber, potassium and vitamin C!

Fennel has been cherished all the way back to ancient Rome when gladiators would eat it before going into the arena, with the belief it would make them stronger. When they won, they were crowned with wreaths and garlands woven with fennel fronds. In Greek mythology, Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gifted it to humanity, concealing it in a stalk of fennel.

When served raw, as in a salad, fennel is commonly paired with oranges. The sharp, anise flavor compliments the sweet, citrus and becomes a party in your mouth. If you can learn to appreciate and love this vegetable raw, it will expand your salad horizons. You can either thinly slice the bulb by hand or with a mandoline. With a texture similar to celery, raw fennel can be added to salads with or without lettuce.

Sometimes when you buy fennel, the leaves, or fronds, are still on the stems. These are great as garnish on salads and pasta or cooked with white fish or salmon.

And then there are fennel seeds, which you’ll mostly recognize as one of the main flavors of Italian sausages found in American grocery stores. They are also commonly used throughout India and the Middle East, and is one of the main spices in Chinese five spice powder.

Let’s get started and make this delectable vegetable side dish!

To prep our fennel, cut just at the top of the bulb, trimming off the stems. Then I cut just a sliver to trim the bottom off the bulb. Usually there’s one or two really tough and thick outer leaves that look sad and wilted, so peel them off and discard. There are a lot of ways to slice up the bulb, but I go with larger fennel wedges for this recipe. So I cut it once down the middle, top to bottom. I leave the core intact because that will hold together the wedges. With the cut side down and angling my knife in towards the core, I slice 2cm wide wedges.

I also added red onion to roast along with the fennel. Not only is it a stunning color combination – the rich purple and pale green, but it adds another flavor dimension to this side dish. Red onion is another one of those cast-aside vegetables, with it’s pungent odor and taste that can overpower. I shamefully am one of those people that sometimes push raw red onion slices to the side of my plate, if I decide I’m not ready to commit to a three day allium takeover of my mouth. But like the fennel, when red onion is roasted, it also becomes sweet and purely delicious.

Red onion wedges are prepared in a similar way. The onion is cut in half lengthwise, following the natural lines on the onion. Discard the papery skins. Trim off the bulb end, which is the end that looks like it’s growing little brown tufts of curly hair. Then with the cut side down and continuing to follow the onion’s natural lines, cut 2cm wide wedges, ensuring to cut through the core, which will hold the wedges together.

Add the fennel and onion wedges to a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Gently toss the vegetables in extra virgin olive oil, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. It’s totally ok if some of the fennel or onions fall apart and there are broken up pieces. They will still taste just as delicious and will actually get more charred and roasty.

I pop the pan in my preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile I make the breadcrumb topping. I mix some breadcrumbs with freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese, chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves, salt and freshly ground black pepper.

After that initial roast in the oven, the vegetables will be soft and browning around the edges. I take the pan out the oven and sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture all over the fennel and onions. Return the pan to the oven for another 10 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs turn a lovely golden brown. It’s really hard to resist eating them with a fork right from the pan, but if you prefer, they can be scooped up with a spatula and served on a platter.

A great variation to this parmesan crusted roast fennel recipe would be adding halved grape tomatoes to the pan with the fennel and red onions. They add a lovely pop of color and a pop of roasty, juicy, tomato deliciousness. Also, to make it a more hearty and substantial side dish, you can add small slices of potato to the vegetables, which will roast beautifully and always lend themselves well to cheesy breadcrumbs.

Roasted Fennel with Parmigiano Reggiano Breadcrumbs Recipe

Roasted Fennel with Parmigiano Reggiano Breadcrumbs

Course: Contorni

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Ingredients

2 fennel bulbs
1 large red onion
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
50g breadcrumbs
30g freshly grated parmigiano reggiano
2 Tbsp fresh parsley leaves, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 200 °C. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
Rinse the fennel and trim off the stems. Remove any blemished or wilted outer leaves and cut the bulb in half lengthwise. With the cut side down and angling the knife in towards the core, slice 2cm wide wedges.
Cut onion in half lengthwise, trim off bulb end and peel and discard papery skins. With the cut side down, following the onion’s natural lines, cut 2cm wide wedges, ensuring to cut through the core on the end which will keep the wedges held together.
Place fennel and onion wedges on prepared baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Toss to coat.
Roast for 20-25 minutes until vegetables are softened and browning.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs, parmigiano reggiano, parsley, and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Remove pan from oven and sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over the vegetables.
Return to oven and continue to roast for 10 minutes or until breadcrumb topping turns golden brown.
Remove from oven and serve warm.