Here is a guest post from our favorite guest chef: Amanda Wotring
I’ve always thought of myself as a summer lover. Nothing makes me happier than lazy, sunny days and vibrant summer produce, but there comes a point around mid-July when I start longing for hearty fall and winter vegetables. Even on the hottest days of the year I crave braises, roasts and anything slow cooked that lends to a melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. Maybe it was the Vietnamese influence in my diet – never was it too hot or early in the day to have a steaming bowl of pho or spiced beef stew. Or maybe it’s the power of transformation that comes along with combining delicious ingredients in a roasting tray. Basically, anything that warms the belly has my vote.
Needless to say, I welcome the fall season here in Rome with open arms. When Elizabeth invited me to cook the welcome dinner for the Week Tour in Rome she hosted last week, I wanted to celebrate the seasonal produce of the month. We’d done several dinners in the past, focused on artichokes and pumpkin, so this time I decided it was fennel’s turn. I didn’t grow up eating much fennel, but when I first moved to Italy over fifteen years ago and first had the classic fennel, orange and olive salad, I fell in love. Now, I’m obsessed with fennel in any fashion. Boiled, raw, braised, made into fresh pressed juices, soups or teas, the fibrous-aniseed bulb is so versatile.
A few years ago, I had tried a parmigiana di finocchio at a small trattoria in Rome. Layers of boiled fennel replaced the classic fried eggplant in the recipe. The fennel got covered in tomato sauce, Parmigiano Reggiano and mozzarella and then baked into a unique combination of flavors I had never experienced. This dish stayed with me for years and our upcoming dinner was the perfect excuse to recreate it.
I made a trial version and was mostly satisfied with the result, but there was still something missing, something to lift and transform the dish into something memorable. I tossed and turned for hours that night when it finally hit me – sausage (which is often the answer to so many of life’s questions) Porky, fatty sausage was just the addition the dish needed and based on the feedback from our guests, it was the perfect addition for a chilly autumn dinner in Rome. The luscious, boiled fennel contrasted with the tangy tomato sauce and was perfectly rounded out by the warmth of the sausage, making for a cheesy soul-warming bite.
Fennel Parmigiana
Yield 4
The sausages we used were made with orange zest and garlic, which were a great addition to the dish, but any other sausage will do (especially ones with fennel seeds!)
Ingredients
- 4 fennel bulbs, discard any damaged outer layers, but leave bulbs whole
- 3 sausages (about 1 pound/ 500 grams)
- 6 cups tomato puree
- 200 grams / 2 oz Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
- 1 pound / 1/2 kilo fresh mozzarella
- 1 medium onion, halved and peeled
- Olive oil
Instructions
Cut mozzarella into 1/2 inch cubes and allow to drain in a colander while preparing recipePlace fennel bulbs (whole) into a large pot and cover with cold, salted water by 1-2 inches and bring water to a boil
Once the water boils, lower and simmer until fennel is tender (should take 45-60 mins from when flame is first turned on), fennel should be cooked through but not mushy, remove from water and allow to drain and cool in a colander
While the fennel cools, cover the bottom of a large sauce pan with olive oil and turn heat to medium-high
Brown onion halves in oil on each side, once browned add tomatoes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, and freshly ground black pepper
Reduce heat to simmer and allow to cook for around 45 minutes, or until sauce is reduced and thick. Remove onion halves from sauce (you can use onion pieces in parmigiana if desired, I did not)
Once fennel bulbs are cooled, carefully take apart the bulbs, gently removing each layer, trying to keep each piece intact and place on paper towel to allow to continue drainingRemove sausage from casing and break into large chunks, brown sausage in a pan and allow to drain on a paper-towel lined plate
Preheat oven to 200oC/ 400 F
In a 9x13 roasting pan, add a thin layer of tomato sauce, followed by one layer of fennel pieces, more tomato sauce, a couple handfuls of Parmigiano Reggiano, followed by sausage and mozzarella cubes
Continue for two more layers, omitting the sausage on the last and final layer Place on center rack of oven and roast for 40 minutes, or until top is slightly brownedAllow to rest for 15 minutes before serving
This dish can be made ahead and reheated.
Follow Amanda to see what she’s cooking up.
For more about cooking in Italy and planning your own Italian dinner party see Elizabeth’s most recent book The Italian Table.
If you’d like to join Elizabeth and Sophie on a delicious week in Italy click here to find out more.
I would love to know where to get these bowls! If not online, where in Italy you got them? Will be traveling there soon.
They are about 40 years old, and I got them in Puglia at a little store in the old part of Bari.