Wild fennel sauce is a simple yet very aromatic sauce with a dark color.
It is a Sicilian recipe.
Wild fennel sauce is flavorful yet digestible and light.
Besides being a tasty and irresistible pasta sauce, it is great for flavoring meat or fish.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 2 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 bunch wild fennel
- 1 pinch garlic powder
- 1 cup homemade tomato sauce (homemade)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch mixed peppercorns (with grinder)
- 5.6 oz whole wheat square spaghetti
- as needed whole wheat breadcrumbs
Suggested Tools
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cutting Board
- Colander
- 1 Pot
- 1 Pan
Preparation
Clean the wild fennel by selecting and cutting the tops, leaves, and the most tender part of the stem.
Wash it thoroughly.
In a pot, bring water to a boil.
Add the wild fennel and blanch for 2-3 minutes.
Set aside the water in which you blanched the wild fennel for cooking the pasta.Transfer the blanched wild fennel to a colander and let it drain well.
Pat it dry with paper towels.
Separate the tufts and cut the stems into pieces.
Heat a sprinkle of garlic powder in a pan.
Pour the tomato sauce and heat it until it boils.
Season with a pinch of salt and grind the pepper.
Add the previously blanched wild fennel and let it simmer.
The longer you let it simmer, the more aromatic and darker the sauce becomes.Your wild fennel sauce is ready.
Enjoy your meal!
In a small pan, toast some whole wheat breadcrumbs, being careful: whole wheat breadcrumbs are already dark in color.
Cook the pasta in the water you saved from blanching the wild fennel, if you kept it, rinse it under running water and drain it.
Meanwhile, heat the wild fennel sauce.
Add the pasta to the pan with the wild fennel sauce and combine.Plate it.
Sprinkle with the whole wheat breadcrumbs and grind some more pepper.Your pasta with wild fennel sauce and breadcrumbs is ready.
Enjoy your meal!
Variations
For a more flavorful condiment, you can add to the preparation of your wild fennel sauce:
• a couple of well-drained anchovies cut into pieces;
• a handful of chopped capers;
• a handful of pine nuts.
Besides being a tasty and irresistible pasta sauce, it is great for flavoring meat or fish.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
When is wild fennel harvested?
Fresh and tender leaves are harvested in spring.
Where can you find wild fennel?
Wild fennel grows spontaneously in the Mediterranean area.
It can be found in uncultivated fields, along walls, and paths.How to substitute wild fennel
If you cannot find wild fennel, you can use fennel fronds.
