Roasted Fennel with Parmigiano

Easy
Starter

Ingredients

serves 8
3 fennel bulbs, trimmed, quartered, and cut into 8 thick wedges each (core left on)
1 tablespoon plus 1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons Monini IGP SICILIA Extra Virgin Olive Oil plus extra for greasing the baking dish
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 425° F (preferably set on convection roast).

Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Drop in the fennel and add 1 tablespoon of the salt; cover and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Drain, rinse under cool water, and set aside.

Lightly oil a large baking dish. Add the boiled fennel in a single layer, drizzle with the olive oil, and season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Toss with 2 tablespoons of the Parmigiano reggiano and then spread out in the roasting pan so it sits in a single layer if possible. Sprinkle the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmigiano.

Roast in the preheated oven for 1 hour, or until golden brown on top and lightly crisp around the edges. serve hot, with meat or poultry.

Add an extra touch

IGP SICILIA

This is the Italian standard method for roasting fennel, and yields succulent result. The same technique can be used for parsnips, cauliflower, or even potatoes.

Let the fennel roast a long time to develop sweetness – 1 hour or a bit longer, as needed.

(courtesy of Chef Micol Negrin from Rustico Cooking, NY)

CHEF

Micol Negrin

With a degree from Canada's premier culinary academy, “L'Institut du Tourisme et de l'Hotellerie du Quebec”, MICOL NEGRIN moved to New York City and became the Editor and chief writer for The Magazine of La Cucina Italiana.  Micol opened RUSTICO COOKING in Midtown Manhattan, with her husband Dino De Angelis to host cooking classes, cooking parties and team-building events. Author of three cookbooks: the James Beard-nominated “Rustico: Regional Italian Country Cooking”, “The Italian Grill” and “The Best Pasta Sauces: Favorite Regional Italian Recipes”. Micol is not only a skilled Italian chef, but an accomplished writer and well-respected authority on Italian cuisine, and has written articles for major publications (including Fine Cooking, Cooking Light and Bon Appetit).