Here’s another recipe with fennel, the crunchy anise-flavored vegetable we used in our Fennel Slaw with Grapefruit Balsamic Vinaigrette. However, this time we roasted it with cherry tomatoes to bring out a hint of sweetness. Add briny olives and a salty cheese and you have a perfectly balanced vegetarian pasta dish without a heavy sauce. We found this recipe from Cooking Light but made a few tweaks of our own. Finish it with a drizzle of garlic-infused extra virgin olive oil and serve it with a torn piece of rustic bread and you can’t go wrong.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 fennel bulb (about ½ to 1 pound)
- ½ cup of pitted Kalamata olives, chopped coarsely
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons Olive This! Garlic Infused Olive Oil, divided
- 8 ounces penne pasta (about 2 cups)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup grated Romano Parmesan cheese (or pecorino)
DIRECTIONS
Place the oven rack in the middle position and preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Trim any fronds and stalks from the fennel bulb. Halve the fennel bulb lengthwise and remove the core.
Prepare the ingredients for roasting. Halve the cherry tomatoes and chop the rosemary and oregano. Coarsely chop the olives and cut the fennel into bite-size pieces.
Transfer the prepared ingredients (fennel, tomatoes, rosemary, oregano and Kalamata olives) to a 9×13-inch baking pan. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and about 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle with 2-3 tablespoons of garlic olive oil. Toss well to combine and fully coat the vegetables.
Roast in preheated oven (stirring 2-3 times throughout) for about 35-40 minutes until the fennel as fork tender.
While the vegetables are roasting, prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
When the fennel mixture is done, remove from the oven and add directly to pasta. Add grated cheese, stir to combine and fully coat pasta. Salt and pepper to taste.
Finish with a drizzle of garlic olive oil (in the large serving bowl or individual bowls) and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve immediately allowing guests to drizzle more, as desired.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
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