Fennel Pasta with a Chilli Citrus Crumb

Ingredients

• Olive oil

  Salad or cooking

  4 tbsp or 54g

• Fennel

  Bulb, raw

  1 bulb or 234g

• Shallots

  Raw

  1 shallot (medium) or 43g

• Salt

  Table

  1 dash or 0.4g

• Garlic

  Raw

  2 cloves, minced or 6g

• Pine nuts

  Nuts, dried

  3 tbsp or 25g

• Thyme

  Spices, dried

  2 tsp, leaves or 2g

• Pasta

  Corn, dry

  8 oz or 227g

• White wine

  Alcoholic beverage, table

  4 fl oz or 118g

• Bread crumbs

  Dry, grated, seasoned

  4 tbsp or 30g

• Lemon zest

  1 lemon or 4g

• Orange zest

  1 orange or 4g

• Red peppers

  Hot chili, raw

  1 pepper or 45g

Directions

1. Finely slice shallot and fennel, setting aside green fronds for serving.
2. Heat half of the oil in a large frying pan over medium-low heat. Saute the fennel and shallot with a pinch of salt for 40-50 minutes, stirring regularly, until the fennel turns a deep gold and is very soft, almost like a paste. Add splashes of water if needed to prevent sticking.
3. Prepare the pasta according to package instructions until al dente.
4. Once the fennel has caramelized, add the garlic, pine nuts, and half the thyme, and saute for 1 minute.
5. Pour the wine over the fennel and increase the heat slightly. Bubble for a few minutes until evaporated.
6. In a separate frying pan, heat the remaining oil over medium heat and fry the remaining thyme and finely chopped chili pepper for a few minutes until fragrant. Stir in the breadcrumbs and fold into the spiced oil for a few minutes until it starts to golden. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the citrus zests.
7. Add the strained pasta into the fennel pan, with a splash of the cooking water, and toss well. Serve topped with citrus crumb and reserved fennel fronds.