Mediterranean baked fennel gratin is incredibly delicious. A side dish with a rustic yet very elegant appearance and a delicate taste, with a definitely appetizing aroma.

This fennel recipe has two aims: to provide an extra idea for those who particularly love it and to convince those who do not to try cooking it this way!

In this recipe, you’ll find all the Mediterranean flavors that blend skillfully.
This vegetarian side dish is very easy to make, you just need to select some beautiful fennel, and you’re all set.

With a sweet taste and crunchy texture, fennel can be consumed raw or cooked and is very helpful for promoting satiety and digestion.

However, it is a vegetable that surely deserves more chances in our diet. Nutritionally, it is a rich source of vitamins, minerals, and powerful antioxidants.

A good source of iron, potassium, calcium, selenium, and magnesium, as well as vitamins A, C, E, K, and a good range of B vitamins, including folate.

This winter vegetable is definitely the main star of this delicious recipe, but the co-stars are other ingredients that give their best: olives, capers, parmesan, cherry tomatoes, all contribute excellently to making this vegetarian side dish a super side dish!

Since nothing is wasted in the kitchen, you can use the outer leaves to make a vegetable soup or broth.

This dish can be cooked in a traditional oven or an air fryer: both methods are described in the recipe.

Mediterranean baked fennel gratin can be served as a vegetable side dish alongside meat, fish, or vegetarian dishes. We can also bring them to the table as a colorful and Mediterranean appetizer.

Let’s enjoy them hot and freshly made, when the gratin is crispy, and our dish will shine.

If you feel like trying it right away, here is the list of ingredients.

Difficulty: Very easy
Cost: Very economical
Preparation time: 15 Minutes
Portions: 4 People
Cooking methods: Air Fryer, Oven
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: All seasons

219.61 Kcal

calories per serving

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Energy 219.61 (Kcal)
Carbohydrates 13.61 (g) of which sugars 4.09 (g)
Proteins 7.43 (g)
Fat 15.21 (g) of which saturated 4.24 (g)of which unsaturated 2.72 (g)
Fibers 3.56 (g)
Sodium 806.80 (mg)

Indicative values for a portion of 150 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

Mediterranean Baked Fennel Gratin

2 fennel bulbs (large)
5 cherry tomatoes
10 black olives
2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
to taste capers
to taste extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper

Tools

Baking Dish
Air Fryer Liner

Steps

Mediterranean Baked Fennel Gratin

After thoroughly washing the fennel in water, remove the outer and tougher parts that are more fibrous and stringy.
Cut them into four parts and slice them roughly into wedges.
Line the baking dish with parchment paper.
Drizzle with olive oil and arrange the fennel slices without overlapping them too much, add the cherry tomatoes halved or quartered, depending on the size, the capers, the olives, and a generous sprinkle of dried oregano, finally season with salt.
(The olives should be pitted, otherwise inform your guests).
In a separate bowl, mix the Parmesan with the breadcrumbs and then sprinkle the ingredients in the baking dish with the mixture, add a drizzle of oil.

Transfer to preheated static oven at 375°F for 18-20 minutes, finish with the grill function at maximum power until golden, 2-3 minutes should be enough.

In an air fryer, cook at 375°F for about 12-15 minutes until you achieve an even golden color.
If using an air fryer, you can use small pans lined with paper.
Cook for about 12-15 minutes until you achieve an even golden color.
Halfway through cooking, remove the fryer basket and flip all the vegetables to the other side.
If using an air fryer, here’s a tip! Add the taggiasca olives only at the end and not along with the other ingredients.
Specifically, add the olives in the last 3-4 minutes of cooking, otherwise, they dry out too much.
Of course, always check both the oven and the fryer as cooking times may vary.
Remove from oven and serve.
Enjoy your meal.