BAKED FENNEL GRATIN SIMPLE AND TASTY SIDE DISH
Today I will tell you how to transform simple fennel into a flavorful dish that is simple but tasty to present as a side dish suitable for any occasion.
I love fennel and consume it practically all year round: in summer simply raw cut into salad or dipped in TZATZIKI SAUCE or CHICKPEA HUMMUS, during the winter I prefer to cook them and prepare them like a cutlet (breaded and fried) or baked au gratin.
Fennel is indeed an extremely versatile vegetable that lends itself to a thousand different recipes, the one I propose today is the SANDY BAKED FENNEL au gratin without BECHAMEL.
A simple and light way to transform simple Fennel into a flavorful dish with just the addition of grated cheese flavored with chopped parsley, garlic, and a bit of breadcrumbs to bring to the table a side dish suitable for the whole family.
At the end of the recipe, you will also find the procedure for preparing Sandy Gratin Fennel without Bechamel with the Air Fryer or in a pan.
For other vegetable side dish recipes, I also suggest:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Oven, Air Fryer, Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 115.05 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 10.66 (g) of which sugars 2.30 (g)
- Proteins 5.37 (g)
- Fat 5.24 (g) of which saturated 1.96 (g)of which unsaturated 1.16 (g)
- Fibers 2.85 (g)
- Sodium 335.69 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2 fennel bulbs (large)
- 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley (with garlic)
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
Tools
- Baking dish
Steps
Wash the fennel, dry them with a cloth then cut them into slices not too thick. Put the sliced fennel in a bowl, add a pinch of salt, chopped parsley with ½ clove of garlic (you can omit the garlic), grated cheese, and finally the breadcrumbs. Mix everything with a spoon.
Transfer the seasoned fennel to a baking pan lined with parchment paper (or in a baking dish). Drizzle with 1 – 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, add some cherry tomatoes if you like. Bake in a preheated ventilated oven at 375°F for about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.
STORAGE
Baked Fennel gratin without bechamel is excellent both hot and cold and keeps perfectly in an airtight container for 3 – 4 days in the fridge. Before consuming, just heat them up.
VARIATIONS
GRATIN FENNEL IN A PAN
To prepare Fennel au Gratin without turning on the oven you can also proceed in a pan. After washing and cutting them, arrange them in a circle in a pan without overcrowding them. Add a pinch of salt and half a cup of water. Cook for 15 minutes with the lid on, then remove it and let the water dry up. The fennel should be soft. Add the fennel with the breadcrumb mix, cheese, parsley, a drizzle of oil on the surface, and 2 tablespoons of water at the base of the pan. Finish cooking for another 5 minutes. Serve at the table.
GRATIN FENNEL WITH AIR FRYER
You can also cook sandy gratin fennel in the Air Fryer. In this case, after washing, cutting, and seasoning them with parsley, breadcrumbs, salt, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and Parmesan, place them directly on the air fryer basket, without parchment paper. Set the air fryer to 400°F and cook for about 7 minutes. Check the fennel’s cooking to ensure they are sufficiently soft and cooked. There is no need to stir the fennel during cooking as the air in the fryer will make them golden and uniform.
BAKED FENNEL WITHOUT CHEESE (VEGAN): For a cheese-free version, you can eliminate the grated Parmesan and flavor the fennel with orange zest before baking.
BAKED FENNEL WITHOUT GLUTEN: For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free breadcrumbs or simply eliminate it from the recipe and use more Parmesan.
SUBSTITUTIONS: For an even more flavorful version of Baked Fennel Gratin, substitute Parmesan with Pecorino or mix the two cheeses.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What are the benefits of cooked fennel?
Fennel, due to its high water content, cleanses the intestines and keeps liver levels under control. Additionally, fennel has anti-inflammatory properties that act on the colon, the terminal part of the digestive system.
Can people with irritable colon eat fennel?
Used since ancient times to relieve gas colic in infants, recent studies have confirmed its effectiveness. Fennel is also used in adults to reduce pain associated with irritable bowel syndrome and as a mild intestinal disinfectant.
