With just six ingredients and fifteen minutes, this recipe is testimony that you don’t need hours of time or an endless pantry to make delicious food. Don’t be scared of the word ‘Finocchio’ (fennel), you won't be tasting licorice here, but you will be eating the ultimate balance of savoury, herbaceous and slightly spiced flavours.
This pairs wonderfully with a glass of Verdicchio or Chardonnay.
Cacio e Finocchio
Ingredients
Serves: 2
Time: 15 mins
· 3 tsp Fennel Seeds
· 4 Rashers of Smoked Streaky Bacon or Pancetta
· 200g Pasta of choice
· 30g Unsalted Butter
· 50g finely grated Parmesan or Pecorino
· 200ml Pasta Water
Instructions
1. Boil a full kettle. Heat a frying pan over medium heat (no oil). Tip in the fennel seeds and toast for 1-2 mins until aromatic and slightly golden.
2. Grind the seeds to a fine powder in either a spice grinder or pestle and mortar. Leave to one side.
3. Chop your bacon/pancetta into small pieces and add them to the same frying pan used to toast the fennel seeds (no oil). Heat it on medium heat and leave the bacon to cook for 5-6 mins until it turns golden and slightly crispy. Once cooked, remove the pan from the heat.
4. While the bacon is cooking, add your pasta to a sauce pan and fill it with enough water to cook your pasta from the boiled kettle. Season with a generous pinch of salt and cook 1-2 mis less than the back of pack instructions. Reserve 200ml of the pasta water.
5. Drain the pasta and add it to the bacon pan along with the butter, the ground fennel seeds, Parmesan/Pecorino and ¾ of the reserved pasta water. Leave it for 20 seconds or so until the butter and cheese have melted slightly. Toss it with some tongs until the sauce has thickened.
6. Season with black pepper and add more pasta water if you’d like. Serve and enjoy!