Fennel Al Forno Recipe

This is an excellent vegetarian main dish if paired with a pile of sautéed dark leafy greens. But you can also send it to the table alongside a roast chicken or pork loin or some Italian sausages. The fennel is briefly blanched, then baked with mozzarella, Parmesan, and bread crumbs. The flavor is amplified with fennel seed, garlic, crushed red pepper, rosemary, and a little olive oil. Expect raves. MAKES 6 SERVINGS

Ingredients

• 4 medium fennel bulbs (about 2 1/2 pounds), trimmed, a few fronds reserved for garnish
• Salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the baking pan
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed or roughly powdered in a mortar or spice mill
• 3 garlic cloves, smashed to a paste with a little salt
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped rosemary, plus 2 teaspoons whole leaves
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced or shredded
• 1/4 cup coarse dry bread crumbs, homemade from an Italian or French loaf
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, or a mixture of parsley and fennel fronds

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove a thin layer of the fennel bulbs’ tough exterior. Cut the fennel crosswise into 1/2-inch slices.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fennel and boil for 1 minute, then drain and put it in a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking; drain and pat dry. Season the fennel with salt and pepper.

3. Lightly oil a large baking dish. Layer in the fennel to a depth of 1 1/2 inches (pushing it down if necessary).

4. In a small bowl, stir together the olive oil, fennel seeds, garlic, chopped rosemary, and crushed red pepper. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of this mixture over the fennel. Sprinkle with the rosemary leaves. Cover with the mozzarella, then sprinkle with the bread crumbs. Drizzle the remaining oil mixture over the top, then sprinkle with the Parmesan. (The dish can be prepared to this point several hours ahead.)

5. Bake the fennel, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, until nicely browned. Garnish with the chopped parsley. 

Excerpted from David Tanis Market Cooking by David Tanis (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2017. Photographs by Evan Sung.