“Marry Me” Fennel Pasta
This is our vegetarian take on the viral “marry me chicken pasta”. A rich and creamy sauce that soaks up the herbs and spices left from the pan-fried fennel. A tasty and comforting, one pan, pasta dish that can work amazingly as a meal prep.
Substitutes:
- No oregano? Use thyme instead.
- Vegan? Use vegan alternatives for butter, double cream and parmesan.
- No onion? Use shallot instead.
- No chickpeas? Use cannellini beans or butter beans instead.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Servings: 2
Ingredients:
2 Fennel
80 g Plain flour
1 tbsp Oregano
1 tbsp Smoked paprika
3 tbsp Olive oil
2 tbsp Unsalted butter
2 Garlic cloves (grated )
1 Onion (chopped )
2 tbsp Tomato puree
½ tsp Chilli flakes (or to taste)
Salt & pepper
500 ml Vegetable stock
60 g Sundried tomatoes
100 g Double cream
½ Can chickpeas
50 g Parmesan (grated )
200 g Pasta (any )
Recipe:
- Cut the fennel into wedges, making sure to reserve any fennel fronds.
- To a plate, add flour, oregano, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Toss the fennel wedges in the flour on all sides.
- Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat and add olive oil. Add the fennel wedges and cook for 3-4 minutes on all sides, or until golden-brown. Remove the fennel from the pan and set aside for later.
- Add the butter to the frying pan and fry onion and garlic for 1–2 minutes over a medium heat. Once fragrant, add the chilli flakes, tomato puree and stock. Bring to a gentle boil, then add the fennel wedges, cover with a lid and cook on low heat for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to packet instructions in a large pan of boiling salted water. Drain once you reach the ‘al dente’ stage and reserve half a mug full of the pasta water.
- Add the sundried tomatoes, chickpeas, double cream and a pinch of both salt and pepper to the pan. Mix to combine then add parmesan and pasta into the sauce with some of the reserved pasta water to loosen things up. Stir together adding little splashes of pasta water until a velvety sauce is formed.
- Top with the reserved fennel fronds and a few toned basil leaves.
How to store
Store in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
