Fennel Bacon Pasta Salad Recipes

FENNEL SALAD

Steps:

• Slice two bulbs of fennel as thinly as you can (use a mandoline if you have one) and toss with red onion slices and some of the fennel fronds. Add kosher salt, lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil to taste and toss.

MAPLE FENNEL BACON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Mix the maple syrup and dark brown sugar in a small bowl.
• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set a rack on stop. Put the bacon on the rack leaving space between the strips. Brush with the maple syrup mixture and then sprinkle some fennel seeds on top¿fennel is a strong spice so use it sparingly. Season with black pepper.
• Bake until brown and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes. Loosen the bacon from the rack and let it cool there 5 minutes before serving.

BAKED FENNEL WITH BACON & CHEESE

Steps:

• In a frying pan fry the bacon until crisp, drain on paper towels { do not discard bacon grease }.
• Sauté the onion & the garlic in the bacon grease till the onion has caramelized slightly, remove from the grease.
• Cook the chicken stock with the butter, salt, pepper & Italian seasoning on low till the butter has melted, and then remove from the heat.
• Cut off and discard upper stalks of the fennel. Remove any wilted outer layers and cut a thin slice from each fennel base.
• Wash fennel and cut each bulb into quarters.
• In a shallow baking dish either spray with a non stick spray or line with parchment or foil, and arrange the fennel quarters in the baking dish, cut side up.
• Spread the onion/garlic mixture on the top of the fennel.
• Pour the broth mixture over the fennel { make sure you don't move the onions off the fennel } and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
• Bake, covered, in a 325 degree F oven for 1 hour.
• Mix the remaining Parmesan cheese with the bacon and the Panko.
• Remove cover; sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup cheese/Panko, bacon mixture. Bake, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes more or until fennel is tender and top is golden. Baking time on this will depend on your oven.

CHESTNUT MUSHROOM, FENNEL & BACON FUSILLI

Steps:

• Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large pan over a medium heat and fry the fennel and onion for 15 mins, or until softened. Add the garlic and chilli, and cook for 1 min, then add the tomato purée and stir for 1 min more. Toss in the bacon and fry for 5-6 mins.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to pack instructions. Add the mushrooms to the frying pan, stir and cover for 8 mins, or until the mushrooms are soft.
• Drain the pasta, adding a ladle of the cooking water to the sauce. Tip in the pasta and stir to coat. Add the rest of the oil and scatter over the parsley and Parmesan.

WARM FENNEL SLAW WITH BACON

Steps:

• Trim the stems and leaves from the fennel bulbs. Chop and reserve two tablespoons of the leaves. Discard the stems. Quarter and shred the fennel bulbs by hand or on the fine slicing disk of a food processor. Put the fennel in a bowl.
• Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a heavy skillet, add the bacon and saute over medium heat until the bacon is golden. Pour the contents of the skillet through a strainer into a heatproof bowl. Spread the pieces of bacon on absorbent paper.
• Add the vinegar to the skillet and heat briefly, then stir in the mustard. Return the reserved bacon fat to the pan and add the remaining olive oil. Season to taste with pepper.
• Pour the dressing over the fennel, add the chopped leaves and the chives and serve at once. For convenience, the dressing and fennel can be prepared in advance. Wait until just before serving to reheat the dressing, then toss it with the fennel.

PASTA WITH FENNEL AND ONIONS

Steps:

• Trim fennel bulbs, cut in half lengthwise, and remove tough cores. Thinly slice fennel bulb halves lengthwise. Peel onions, slice in half lengthwise, and thinly slice onions lengthwise.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir fennel and onions until onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. Pour in white wine, turn heat up to medium-high, and cook, stirring often, until the wine has nearly evaporated and fennel and onions begin to brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; cook the linguine at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes; drain and keep warm. Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water.
• Stir tomatoes into the fennel mixture and cook until the tomatoes soften, about 3 minutes. Mix lemon juice and pine nuts into the vegetables.
• Stir linguine into the fennel mixture and mix in reserved pasta water. Cook pasta and vegetables over high heat, stirring until hot and thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes. Serve in a large serving bowl topped with Parmesan cheese.

ASPARAGUS-FENNEL PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Place asparagus, onions and fennel in a 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Drizzle with oil; toss to coat. Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. , Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and place in a large serving bowl. Add the tomatoes, olives, parsley and roasted vegetables. , In a small bowl, whisk the oil, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper. Drizzle over salad and toss to coat. Sprinkle with feta cheese.