Roasted Fennel with Romano Cheese

After months of preparing, renovating and moving into a new home, it is finally time for me to cook and enjoy my new kitchen. Coming from our old apartment with one of the smallest kitchens ever, I am now in heaven in this open, rehabbed kitchen space. The small, old kitchen never stopped me from cooking though. I made the space work using a little butcher block for all food prepping needs and learned the idiosyncrasies of the 1970s oven and stove. Even years of hunching over the low, porcelain sink hand-washing dishes did not seem too bad, that is, until I cooked for the first time in our new kitchen. New cabinetry, all new stainless steel appliances including a dishwasher and a beautiful, deep stainless steel sink with a garbage disposal. This may seem normal to most but after living with out these little perks for so long, you really get thrilled over a working garbage disposal.

The first few nights of cooking I kept things basic with meals like spaghetti and meatballs, quesadillas and ham and macaroni and cheese. Actually, those are the only three meals I have cooked so far. I am ready to start experimenting and really see what I can create with the help of this new kitchen. The most recent recipe that I made was one of my favorite vegetable dishes, roasted fennel. Roasting fennel mellows out the bold anise flavor and brings out a divine, nutty sweetness. Roasted fennel can be delicious all by itself with a sprinkle of fresh Romano cheese. Pile the roasted fennel on a flat bread with fresh spinach leaves and melted mozzarella cheese to create a full meal. Take your favorite pasta and toss it with the roasted fennel, Romano cheese and crushed red pepper for a flavorful, spicy dish. Try it in a green salad with chopped olives, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil.

Roasted Fennel with Romano Cheese

1-2 Fennel Bulbs (sliced thin)
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper


1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Prepare the fennel bulb by slicing off the long stalks of the fennel and leaving just the bulb. Cut off the very bottom of the bulb, then slice in half. In the middle of the bulb, you will see a core. Carefully cut into the bulb diagonally to remove the core. Slice the fennel into long, thin pieces and rinse well in a colander.

3. Once dry, place the fennel on a large baking sheet. Drizzle the fennel with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. With tongs mix the ingredients thoroughly, so all fennel has a nice coat of oil and seasoning.

4. Roast in middle rack of the oven for 25-30 minutes. After the first 15 minutes, use tongs to redistribute the fennel, so all pieces are cooked evenly.

5. Remove from oven and sprinkle with freshly grated Romano cheese.

Enjoy this easy and elegant vegetable dish all by itself or add it to a salad, pizza or pasta for a fabulous addition to any meal. More recipes to come from the new kitchen.