This Roasted Fennel Pasta recipe features fresh linguine tossed in a light lemon sauce with roasted fennel. It’s topped with dollop of ricotta cheese for extra richness.
Table of Contents
Baking fennel at a high heat gives it a nutty, caramelized flavor. A perfect compliment to the zesty lemon sauce that we’re tossing it with and serving over fresh linguini, topped with toasted breadcrumbs and a dollop of ricotta cheese.
Yep… Yum.
Crunchy, creamy, tangy. Plus, we’re garnishing it with the fennel fronds. The frilly little leaves, that look like dill, growing off the stocks of the fennel.
Yep, fennel comes with its own garnish, how cool is that?
I’m may just be in food love with this dish… And fennel. I love fennel, lots and lots of fennel.
Reader
Love
This recipe is exquisite! I’ve made it twice so far and my husband and I are always blown away by the incredible flavors and textures! I didn’t have ricotta so I made my own cashew cream and it was still 5 stars!
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Ingredient Notes
- Pasta – I used linguine. However, you could also use spaghetti, bucatini or any other favorite pasta shape.
- Fresh Fennel – Aka anise. See my tips below on how to cut fennel.
- Butter + Olive Oil
- Ricotta Cheese – Part-skim or full fat will work here.
- Garlic + Shallot
- Lemon
- Fresh Parsley
- Breadcrumbs – Don’t have breadcrumbs on hand? You can also grind up some croutons.
- Salt + Pepper
How to Cut Fennel
- Trim off the fennel stalks to where they connect to the bulb. Save the leafy fronds for garnish.
- Cut the bulb in half and trim the root end.
- Cut the halves into quarters.
- Cut each quarter at an angle to remove the core.
- Starting at the top of the bulb and working towards the root, slice the fennel into strips.
How to Make the Pasta
- Roast the Fennel: Preheat your oven to 450-degrees. Place the sliced fennel on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; toss thoroughly to coat. Arrange in a single layer and roast until tender + golden.
- Make the Ricotta Mixture: While the fennel roasts, combine the ricotta cheese and the juice of 1/2 the lemon; season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Boil the Pasta: Bring a pot of salted water to boiling on high heat. Boil the pasta until just short of al dente.
- Make the Toasted Breadcrumbs: Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add garlic, shallot and parsley. Cook until fragrant. Add the breadcrumbs and toast until browned. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Make the Sauce: Combine lemon zest, lemon juice, water, and olive oil in a skillet. Heat to boiling on high heat and stir to combine. Remove from the heat.
- Toss it all Together: Reserving ¼ cup of the pasta water, drain the pasta and add it to the skillet of sauce. Add the roasted fennel, fennel fronds and reserved cooking water. Cook until the pasta is well coated in the sauce.
- Enjoy: Top the pasta with the breadcrumb mixture, a dollop of the ricotta mixture, and remaining chopped parsley. Enjoy!
How to Make Ahead + Store
This fennel pasta is best served immediately. Keep any leftovers covered in the fridge up to 3 days.
What to Serve with It
- More → 40+ EASY sides for pasta.
- More → the BEST Italian desserts.
Erin’s wine pairings
- Sauvignon Blanc pairs very nicely with the lemon flavors and grassy notes of the fennel.
- Pinot Gris is another great match – With bright acidity and notes of citrus, it’ll pair well with the rich breadcrumbs and ricotta topping.
- Dry Riesling – My go to food-friendly wine. It’s light sweetness will echo the flavors in the roasted fennel, yet not overpower this delicate dish.
- More → the BEST wines with pasta.
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Full Recipe
Fennel Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound linguine (or other pasta like spaghetti or bucatini)
- 2 bulbs fennel
- 4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (divided )
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 2/3 cup ricotta cheese (part skim or full fat)
- 6 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 lemons (zested and halved )
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley (chopped )
- 2 shallots (minced)
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling on high.
- Pick off and mince a few of the fennel fronds. Cut off and discard the fennel stems. Halve and core the fennel bulb; slice into ½-inch-thick strips. Place the sliced fennel on a sheet pan, drizzle with 2 TBSP olive oil and season with salt and pepper; toss thoroughly to coat. Arrange in a single layer and roast, 18-20 minutes, tossing halfway through, until tender and golden.
- While the fennel roasts, combine the ricotta cheese and the juice of one lemon half; season with salt and pepper to taste.
- In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic, shallot and half the parsley. Cook until fragrant and softened. Add the breadcrumbs and toast over medium heat, until browned. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and transfer to a small bowl. Wipe out the pan.
- In the now clean skillet, combine lemon zest, juice of 1 lemon half, 1 cup water, and remaining 2 TBSP olive oil; heat to boiling on high heat and stir to combine. Remove from heat.
- Boil the pasta until just short of al dente. Reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, drain the pasta and add it to the skillet of sauce. Add the roasted fennel, minced fennel fronds and reserved cooking water. Cook on medium-high, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is well coated in the sauce.
- Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper, to taste, top with breadcrumb mixture, a dollop of the ricotta mixture, and remaining chopped parsley. Chop the remaining lemon halves into wedges and serve with the pasta. Enjoy!
Notes
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Trim off the fennel stalks to where they connect to the bulb. Save the leafy fronds for garnish.
-
Cut the bulb in half and trim the root end.
-
Cut the halves into quarters.
-
Cut each quarter at an angle to remove the core.
-
Starting at the top of the bulb and working towards the root, slice the fennel into strips.
- This fennel pasta is best served immediately. Keep any leftovers covered in the fridge up to 3 days.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted in 2015. It was updated in 2019 to update the photographs, and again in 2023 to add new content content. The roasted fennel pasta recipe remains the same. Enjoy!
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