Mostaccioli con Finocchio

By LeeBoruchow

Penne pasta with fennel and breadcrumbs.

Ingredients

• Salt
• 6 tbsp plus 3 to 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 heads fennel, cut into large dice, fronds reserved
• 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 cup plus 1/2 cup toasted bread crumbs
• 1 lb mostaccioli, or penne
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves, torn
• 1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes

Preparation

Step 1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

In a 12 to 14-inch saute pan, heat the 6 tbsp of oil until smoking. Add the fennel, and cook, without stirring, until golden brown and quite soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, 1 cup of the bread crumbs and continue cooking 4 to 5 minutes.

Cook pasta until just short of al dente and drain. Pour the hot pasta into the pan with a tiny bit of the cooking liquid, add the mint and some fennel fronds, and mix well. Pour into 4 warm serving dishes, and sprinkle with the remaining bread crumbs and more fennel fronds. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, to taste. Drizzle with remaining olive oil and serve immediately.