Blogtoberfest - Day 8 - Fabulous Fennel

Fennel Powder from spice kingdom

Welcome everyone to Blogtoberfest Day 8. Today I want to introduce you to Fabulous Fennel. I love the flavour of Fennel, although it isn't to the taste of everyone. 
We grow fennel in our garden, it has pretty feathery foliage and a distinctive aniseed flavour. Fennel is used in many different forms, both culinary and medicinal......in cooking as a vegetable, powdered spice, or seed. I am always on the lookout for new Fennel recipes and found this one that I can't wait to try, once our Fennel is fully grown and ready to harvest. I will share it with you now :)

Fennel print 8 x 10 by messyfish

Fresh Fennel + Radicchio Pasta 

(from the West Australian Newspaper )

"Pasta is a great carrier for strong flavours. Fennel is just delicious right now. 
Team that with some sharp radicchio and you have the basis for a great vegetarian meal. The bite of the radicchio works really well with the gentleness of the pasta. 
I used a short pasta but a long one like spaghetti or fettucine would also be good.

INGREDIENTS : 

(serves 4) 

2 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion sliced

1 fennel bulb thinly sliced 

2 tsp crushed garlic

1 red chilli, chopped or to your taste

2 cups coarsely sliced radicchio - about half a head

1/2 cup stock or water

salt + freshly ground black pepper

400g dried short pasta

1/3 cup roughly chopped flat leaf parsley

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

METHOD

1. Heat the oil in a medium pan and add the onion and fennel. 
Cook over a fairly gentle heat until the fennel is tender and a pale golden colour. 

2. Turn up the heat and add garlic, chilli and radicchio. 
After the radicchio has collapsed, add the stock or water and season well. 

3. Meanwhile, simmer the pasta in plenty of salted water 

until it is tender. 
Drain and add to the fennel mixture. 

Toss around until all is coated and then fold through the parsley and the cheese and serve."

Certified Organic, Fennel Seed Origin: Egypt 1/2oz by NycSpellBinder