Many of the meals that I prepare, particularly those I’ve created, are actually born out of a previous meal. This is not creative genius on my part, rather a result of growing up in a household that could not afford to waste food.
Bread that had become stale, had a new lease on life in the form of Panzanella salad or Bread Pudding. The previous night’s zucchini transformed into the morning’s Frittata and the drippings from Sunday’s roast made a much welcomed appearance as a sauce spooned over the mid-week’s lessor cut of meat. Anything left from the end of one meal, be it chunks of meat or simply an oil that is now flavored by the former tenant (as is the case for this recipe), I learned to view as the beginning of another meal.
I get exceptionally excited when the new dish is so well liked, that I now prepare the recipe it was created from only to have the recipe it spawned, earning a permanent place in my recipe repertoire. Spaghetti al Finocchio is one such recipe.
Ingredients:
- 1 recipe Finocchio al Forno
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated (plus extra for shavings on top)
- 8 ounces spaghetti
- Using a large saute pan, warm the remaining oil left from the pan of baked fennel (Finocchio al Forno), add the garlic cloves, cook for 2-3 minutes.
- In a large pot of water, cook the pasta, drain and add to sauce in saute pan.
- Cut up the fennel (reserving a couple for garnish on top), toss in with the pasta, stir in cheese.
- To serve, transfer to bowls, top with baked fennel wedges and extra shavings of Parmesan cheese.
