Spicy Spaghetti with Fennel, Pancetta & Parmesan Cheese Recipe

My husband knows the way to my heart. Yesterday was my birthday and did I ever get spoiled. Not with some big-ticket item from a store, but with thoughtful, meaningful gestures that let me know he was really thinking about what I enjoy. I won’t bore you with the blow-by-blow of the day, but let’s just say that Brie and sushi were involved. As I said, the man knows the way to my heart. Even with all of these treats, I still had a craving for a comforting pasta dish. While Spaghetti with Creamy Mascarpone Sauce, Italian Sausage, and Pine Nuts certainly would have fit the bill, I was in the mood for trying something new. Reading through an issue of Bon Appetit Magazine several weeks prior, this spicy spaghetti dish had leapt off the page. Packed with braised fennel, pancetta, and red chiles, a bowl of this light and flavorful pasta effortlessly satisfied my craving.

Place a large skillet over medium heat and add 3 ounces, chopped, pancetta (Italian bacon).

Sauté pancetta until golden, remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon, and drain on a paper towel.

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the drippings in the pan. The pancetta I used didn’t produce much in the way of drippings, so I used 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add 3 garlic cloves, chopped, and 2 large red jalapeño chiles, seeded and finely chopped. Sauté for 1 minute.

Trim the stalks from 2 large fennel bulbs, and cut each bulb into thin wedges, keeping some of the core intact. Add the fennel to the skillet and cook until the fennel begins to soften, about 5 minutes.

Stir in 1 3/4 cups low-salt chicken broth, 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, and 2 teaspoons crushed fennel seeds. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet, and cook until the fennel is very tender, 20 to 30 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the heat and season with salt and pepper.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 pound (16 oz.) spaghetti and cook until al dente. Before draining the pasta, scoop out and reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain pasta and return it to the pot.

Place the skillet with the fennel mixture over high heat, remove the lid, and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed, 4 to 5 minutes. Pour the fennel mixture over the pasta. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, 3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, and pancetta. Toss the pasta and add the pasta cooking water, 1/4 cup at a time, if the pasta needs more moisture. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer pasta to serving bowl, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley, and serve with additional grated Parmesan cheese.

Other fennel recipes:

Smitten Kitchen’s Fennel, Prosciutto & Pomegranate Salad
Kitchen Unplugged’s Black Spaghetti with Shrimp, Artichoke, Fennel & Olive
Kalyn’s Kitchen’s Napa Cabbage Slaw with Carrots & Fennel-Dijon Dressing
FatFree Vegan Kitchen’s Dried Fava Bean & Fresh Fennel Soup with Polenta

Spicy Spaghetti with Fennel, Pancetta & Parmesan Cheese
Adapted from Bon Appétit Magazine

3 ounces pancetta (Italian bacon), chopped
3-4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 large red jalapeño chiles, seeded, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
2 large fennel bulbs, stalks trimmed, cut into thin wedges with some core intact
1 3/4 cups low-salt chicken broth
4 tbsp finely chopped fresh Italian parsley, divided
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp crushed fennel seeds
Salt and pepper
1 lb. (16 oz.) spaghetti
1 3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Place a large skillet over medium heat and add pancetta. Sauté pancetta until golden, remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon, and drain on a paper towel.

Add 1 tbsp olive oil to the drippings in the pan. If pancetta doesn’t produce much in the way of drippings, use 2 tbsp olive oil. Add garlic and jalapeño chiles. Sauté for 1 minute. Add the fennel to the skillet and cook until the fennel begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh Italian parsley, lemon juice, and crushed fennel seeds. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet, and cook until the fennel is very tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and season with salt and pepper.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 pound (16 oz.) spaghetti and cook until al dente. Before draining the pasta, scoop out and reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain pasta and return it to the pot.

Place the skillet with the fennel mixture over high heat, remove the lid, and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed, 4 to 5 minutes. Pour the fennel mixture over the pasta. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, 3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, and pancetta. Toss the pasta and add the pasta cooking water, 1/4 cup at a time, if the pasta needs more moisture. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer pasta to serving bowl, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley, and serve with additional grated Parmesan cheese.

Serves 6.

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