Description
A delicious and sophisticated vegan roasted fennel pasta with lemon and capers, combining the sweetness of roasted fennel with the brightness of lemon and the savory depth of capers. This versatile Italian recipe can be made light or hearty depending on your preference.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 kg fennel
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic
- Few stalks parsley
- 1 tbsp small capers
- 1 organic lemon
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- 500 g pasta (e.g. spaghetti)
- ½ cup pasta cooking water
Optional Ingredients
- Dried chili flakes (to taste)
- 1 tbsp homemade vegetable stock powder
- 1 tbsp vegan butter
- 200 ml vegan cream (approx.)
- 50 g grated vegan cheese (approx.)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 200 °C to prepare for roasting the fennel.
- Prepare Fennel: Remove the upper end and inner stalk of the fennel, and slice it into approximately 0.5 cm thin strips. Reserve some fennel greens for garnish later.
- Chop Herbs and Prepare Lemon: Chop the garlic cloves and finely chop the parsley leaves. Grate the zest from half of the lemon and squeeze the juice from the whole lemon.
- Combine Ingredients for Roasting: In a baking dish, combine the sliced fennel, olive oil, chopped garlic, parsley, capers, lemon juice and zest, dried chili flakes (if using), salt, and pepper. Mix well ensuring the fennel is coated evenly.
- Bake Fennel: Place the dish in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, allowing the fennel to roast and develop flavor.
- Cook Pasta: While the fennel roasts, cook the pasta according to package instructions, adding vegetable stock powder to the water if desired for extra flavor. Reserve half a cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.
- Add Pasta Water and Continue Baking: After 20 minutes, add the reserved pasta cooking water to the baking dish with fennel, stir to combine, and bake for an additional 15 minutes until the fennel is soft (or to preferred texture). Then turn off the oven.
- Combine Pasta and Optional Ingredients: Add the cooked pasta to the baking dish. For a heartier dish, add vegan cream and grated vegan cheese. Toss everything together and leave in the switched-off oven for a few minutes to meld flavors.
- Serve: Plate the pasta and garnish with reserved fennel leaves for a fresh touch.
Notes
- The recipe yields 4 to 5 portions.
- Nutritional values are calculated without the optional ingredients.
- Adjust chili flakes according to your spice preference.
- Using homemade vegetable stock powder in the pasta water adds extra depth of flavor but is optional.
- The dish can be served lighter by omitting the vegan cream and cheese.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
