Skip to Content
Recipes

Roasted Fennel With Breadcrumbs

Roasted fennel becomes a savory, caramelized side dish in this recipe that pairs the flavorful, bulbous vegetable with breadcrumbs and cheese.

Roasted fennel with breadcrumbs

Roasted fennel with breadcrumbs.

This recipe is part of Appetito contributor Chiara Montalto Giannini's series on food and drink to make during the bridge between spring and winter. For this Roasted Fennel with Breadcrumbs recipe, she roasts the finocchio, as it's known in Italian, with breadcrumbs and cheese.

The other recipes in the series are: Peperonata | Radicchio Risotto |
Orange and Pomegranate Non-Alcoholic Spritz | Escarole Salad With Endive and Radicchio

When I was growing up, fennel, the bulbous vegetable that tastes like licorice, was only served raw, after a big meal. A small bowl with slices of fennel in a little water would be placed on the table as a digestive. I never much cared for it. 
When you roast fennel, that strong licorice flavor mellows into this sweet, incredible taste. The longer you roast it the better. When you make this combination of toasted breadcrumbs and cheese with the roasted fennel, you’ve got a delicious, caramelized contorno. I particularly like this as a side to chicken or fish.

Roasted Fennel With Breadcrumbs

Roasted Fennel With Breadcrumbs

Recipe by Chiara Montalto Giannini
0.0 from 0 votes
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

30

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 1 fennel bulb, cut into pieces

  • 1 cup 1 toasted breadcrumbs (see note)

  • 2 2 -3 cloves garlic

  • Pinch parsley

  • Pinch oregano or sage (optional)

  • Salt and Pepper

  • Pecorino Romano

  • Parmigiano

  • Extra Virgin Olive oil

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 375°F.
  • Cut fennel into large-ish strips, and remove core; it doesn’t need to be perfect.
  • Place into a large bowl and season generously with salt and pepper and a good amount of olive oil.
  • Season the breadcrumbs with salt, pepper and parsley, and/or sage and oregano, if using. (I prefer this as simple as possible)
  • Toss breadcrumbs into fennel to coat evenly.
  • Transfer to oven-proof dish
  • Drizzle with olive oil
  • Top with Parmigiano Reggiano
  • Bake for 35- 40 minutes, till golden and caramelized.

Notes

  • To make the toasted breadcrumbs, use 1 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs Put the breadcrumbs in a cast iron frying pan. Toast over a very low flame until golden, stirring constantly.
  • You can toast a whole bag of breadcrumbs and then store them in a zip-top bag in your freezer.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @appetitomagazine on Instagram and hashtag it with #italianfoodanddrink

Like this recipe?

Follow @Appetitomagazine on Pinterest

Follow us on Facebook!

Follow us on Facebook

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Appetito

Settepani Harlem Celebrates 25 Years of Italian Culinary Tradition

Settepani marked 25 years in Harlem with a celebration that honored the bakery’s journey, its family roots, and the community that has supported them every step of the way.

Baked, Fried, or Simmered Raw: Which Meatball Is Best?

Vinny DelGiudice of Always from Scratch tested baked, fried, and simmered raw meatballs to see which method creates the best flavor and texture. His results show that sometimes the best choice is simply the one that brings everyone to the table.

July 14, 2025

Sicilian Spirits and Tuscan Sweets Take Over Portrait Milano

Portrait Milano hosted Sicily's Morgana Cocktail Bar alongside a new Sammontana gelato kiosk bringing Tuscan sweetness to Milan all summer.

Una Pizza Napoletana Wins Top Pizza in USA Again

Una Pizza Napoletana has once again been crowned top pizzeria in America by 50 Top Pizza USA. Discover this year’s winners and pizza trends.

L’Olivo Introduces Venetian Cicchetti Culture to Calgary

Giuseppe di Gennaro launches L’Olivo, a cicchetti restaurant and lounge redefining Italian dining in Calgary’s Inglewood.

See all posts