Roasted Fennel with Parmesan, Breadcrumbs and Sage

Roasted Fennel with Parmesan, Breadcrumbs and Sage is a tasty and easy to make side dish.

This tasty and light recipe is perfect for this vegetable with its distinctive and pleasantly aromatic flavor.

Fragrant, fresh and crunchy, fennel is often eaten raw. In pinzimonio or in salads, for example in a delicious and fresh Sicilian fennel and orange salad.

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But there are also many ways to enjoy fennel cooked: roasted, boiled, fried or stewed.

This recipe is simple to make, but with surprising results.

Simply slice the fennels thinly. Then season them with a drizzle of oil, a pinch of salt and pepper, breadcrumbs, Parmigiano cheese and sage.

Finally, bake in the oven until completely browned. The result is a crispy, tasty and absolutely irresistible fennel casserole.

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Delicate and flavorful at the same time, Baked Fennel with Parmesan can be served with any meat or fish dish.

They are perfect for a family lunch or a dinner with friends. But they are also a crunchy appetizer for your buffets or a delicious vegetarian snack.

Let’s see together how to make the step by step recipe of Roasted Fennel with Parmesan, Breadcrumbs and Sage!

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How to Make Roasted Fennel with Parmesan

Prep Time: 15 Min
Cook Time: 15 Min
Servings: 4

Ingredients

3 medium fennel (about 600 g / 1,3 pound)
100 g (1 cup) of breadcrumbs
80 g (3/4 cup) of grated Parmigiano Reggiano
50 g (4 tablespoons) of Extra virgin olive oil
4 sage leaves
1 clove of garlic
salt and pepper to taste

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Tools and Kitchen Equipment

To make this roasted fennel recipe, you definitely need a cutting board and a sharp knife to cut the fennel very thin.

Key ingredients for this recipe are grated Parmesan, breadcrumbs and chopped sage. For all these preparations you need an electric food processor.

Then you need a large bowl to mix all the ingredients so that the bread and the Parmesan are evenly coated on the fennel slices.

A baking sheet and some parchment paper to keep the fennel from sticking – so you use less oil – are essential.

Finally, you’ll need an airtight container if the fennel is left over or if you want to store it in the refrigerator for the next day.

Directions

How to Cut Fennel for Roasting

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Step 1) – To make the roasted fennel recipe, first you need to clean and cut the fennel.

Remove the stems and fronds from the fennel. Then cut off the root end and remove any tough outer layers, which are the hardest part of the fennel.

Save some of the green part of the fennel, the fennel fronds, which you will use later with the other flavorings.

Stand the bulb upright on its root end. Holding the bulb with one hand, cut it in half from the stem end to the root end.

Finally, rinse them under running water to remove any remaining soil.

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Step 2) – Now cut the fennel into wedges. Place the halved fennel on the cutting board and use a sharp knife to slice the fennel lengthwise into wedges.

The wedges should be thin, about 1/2 cm (1/5 inch). They should be thin enough to bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, but not so thin that they burn.

How to Season Fennel

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Step 3) – Prepare a mince with the sage leaves, the garlic clove and some green fennel fronds, which are very scented.

Put the flavors in a food processor and chop finely.

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Step 4) – Place the fennel wedges in a large bowl. Drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil. Then add the chopped flavors, salt and ground black pepper.

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Step 5) – Finally, add the grated Parmesan cheese and the breadcrumbs, with the exception of 2 or 3 tablespoons that you will set aside.

How to Roast Fennel with Parmesan

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Step 6) – Using two spoons, mix well to coat all the fennel wedges with the seasoning.

Line a fairly large baking dish with parchment paper. Place the fennel in a single layer, not overlapping.

Drizzle with a little oil and sprinkle the surface with the tablespoons of breadcrumbs.

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Step 7) – Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (390°F) for about 15 minutes, until golden brown.

For a crispier result, you can finish cooking with 2 minutes in grill mode.

Roasted Fennel with Parmesan is ready! You can enjoy them hot or cold, as an appetizer or as a side dish with meat or fish courses.

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Storage

If you have leftover roasted fennel with parmesan, you can store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 or 2 days.

Reheat them in the oven for 5 minutes. They will regain their crispness.

We do not recommend freezing them.

Roasted Fennel with Parmesan: Some Variations

If you like, you can make slight variations on this simple recipe to suit your tastes. Let’s look at some of them.

Roasted Fennel with Pecorino

For an even more appetizing dish, you can add pecorino cheese to the breadcrumbs instead of Parmesan.

Baked Fennel with Breadcrumbs

On the other hand, if you want a milder side dish without cheese, you can just use breadcrumbs.

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Roasted Fennel with Garlic and Thyme

You can flavor the fennel with other herbs, such as thyme, marjoram, and rosemary.

Or add fennel seeds or other spices, such as turmeric or sweet paprika.

Baked Fennel and Potatoes

For a more hearty dish, you can add thin slices of potatoes to the fennel.

Roasted Fennel with Parmesan and Bechamel.

Another variation of baked fennel gratin is to add bechamel sauce.

Follow the instructions above, but use a smaller, high-sided ceramic baking dish. Before baking, cover with a generous amount of besciamella sauce and Parmesan cheese.