Light gratinated fennel is a tasty and appetizing side dish, an excellent alternative to fennel prepared with béchamel sauce.

Oven-gratinated fennel can be served as an accompaniment to meat or fish main courses.

The delicate flavor of gratinated fennel pairs wonderfully with any dish.

My grandmother always called them finochielle gratinate, which entertained me a lot!

Simple and quick to prepare, they are sliced and breaded in a mix of breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan cheese, or pecorino.

Optionally, you can add spices like marjoram or thyme, or even sesame seeds or wild fennel seeds.

Choosing this vegetable is essential; it must be very fresh and crunchy.

They cook in a static oven for about twenty minutes, and once cooked, they are soft inside and crunchy outside.

They are also excellent when cooked in an air fryer for 7 minutes or in the microwave with the combined function.

Even the little ones like them a lot, and it’s a way to cook them with little fat. Indeed, you don’t need melting cheeses, and, as mentioned before, you don’t need béchamel, just a bit of oil.

Ideal for any type of diet, even for vegetarians, and they can be prepared well in advance and reheated when needed without affecting the taste and crunchiness.

It’s one of the gratin oven side dishes I love most

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Difficulty: Very Easy
Cost: Very Cheap
Preparation time: 10 Minutes
Portions: 4
Cooking methods: Oven
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: All Seasons

Ingredients for Preparing Light Gratinated Fennel

3 fennel bulbs
1 cup cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
to taste fine salt
to taste thyme
to taste marjoram

Tools

1 Mandolin
1 Baking Tray
1 Bowl
Absorbent Paper
Parchment Paper

Steps for Preparing Light Gratinated Fennel

To prepare the delicious light gratinated fennel, start by removing the stalks and the damaged and tough outer parts.

Then wash them well under running water, dry them with absorbent paper, and slice them using a mandolin into fairly thick slices. Add them to a bowl together with the extra virgin olive oil and mix well.
In another bowl, prepare the mix of breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, spices, and salt.
Mix and pour over the fennel.
Then mix everything so that the breadcrumbs and cheese adhere to the fennel.
Next, lay a sheet of parchment paper on a baking tray and place the fennel on it, not overlapping too much.
The bread and cheese mixture left at the bottom of the bowl, pour it over the fennel, and bake at 356°F (180°C) for 20 minutes. In the air fryer at 356°F (180°C) for about 10 minutes, flip halfway through cooking.
Once cooking is complete, plate and serve hot… enjoy!