Fennel with breadcrumbs is a typical dish of Italian culinary tradition, particularly common in southern regions like Apulia, Calabria, and Sicily. It is a simple yet incredibly tasty preparation that maximizes the humble fennel, a vegetable with countless virtues.
Fennel with breadcrumbs is a perfect example of Italian peasant cuisine, where a few simple and easily accessible ingredients are transformed into a dish capable of surprising for its goodness. The recipe has its roots in the farming tradition, where nothing was wasted: stale bread, instead of being thrown away, was crumbled and used to enrich and flavor dishes.
This dish can be served as a side to accompany meat or fish dishes, but it is so tasty that it can also be enjoyed on its own, perhaps as an appetizer or vegetarian course. Besides the taste, fennel with breadcrumbs embodies all the warmth and conviviality of a family meal, evoking memories of laid tables and aromas wafting through the kitchen. Below, I leave you with more recipes with fennel.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients for the Fennel with Breadcrumbs Recipe
- 13 oz fennel (large or two small)
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 5 sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- 1 tbsp Taggiasca olives
- 1 tbsp raisins
- 1 tbsp pine nuts
- 1 glass white wine
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 anchovies in oil
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
Tools for the Fennel with Breadcrumbs Recipe
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Frying Pan
- 1 Lid
- Small Bowls
Steps
To prepare fennel with breadcrumbs, start by preparing the toasted breadcrumbs: drizzle some oil in a pan, add the breadcrumbs, and toast them while stirring with a wooden spoon. Turn off the stove as soon as they turn amber. Set aside.
Now slice the fennel and set aside in a bowl.
Also chop the sun-dried tomatoes and set them aside.
Now prepare the fennel: drizzle some oil in a pan and add 2 cloves of garlic,
2 anchovy fillets, and after a few minutes
add the fennel set aside earlier.
Add the raisins and the pine nuts,
the sun-dried tomato,
the Taggiasca olives,
a glass of white wine,
adjust salt and pepper, and
let the alcohol evaporate.
Then, cover with the lid and cook for 10 minutes over medium-low heat,
remove the lid and let it cook for a few more minutes.
Remove the pan from the stove, and add the toasted breadcrumbs set aside earlier,
also add the grated Parmesan cheese and
mix.
Fennel with breadcrumbs is ready to be enjoyed.
Fennel with breadcrumbs can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days covered with cling film.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I omit the sun-dried tomatoes?
Yes, certainly, and if you wish, you can also add desalted capers.
