I came across this recipe in Bon Appetit and liked the do-ahead nature. Plus, it’s a great way to have a warm dish that uses fresh tomatoes. Sometimes you get tired of just slice-and-serve.
Start with fennel. Chop in half:
Slice the fennel lengthwise. Chopup the fronds, too:
Cherry tomatoes:
Saute the fennel:
Get a nice brown on it.
Add tomatoes:
Give a nice toss. Be careful, though:
Then into the oven:
Add the beans and heat through, about 5 minutes. I let the tomatoes cook a little too long here, but it still tasted great.
Olive Oil Roasted Tomatoes and Fennel with White Beans
2 large fennel bulbs with fronds attached
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt, divided
2 pints grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
4 large fresh oregano sprigs
3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 15-ounce cans cannellini (white kidney beans), drained
Preheat oven to 425°F. Chop enough fennel fronds to measure 1/2 cup. Trim fennel bulbs and cut in half vertically. Cut each bulb half ito 1/2-inch-wide wedges, leaving some ore attached to each wedge.
Heat oil in large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until very hot, about 3 minutes. Add fennel wedges in single layer; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon coarse salt. Cook until fennel begins to brown and soften, turning occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes. Add tomatoes, oregano, garlic, and crushed red pepper; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon coarse salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Fold together gently.
Transfer skillet to oven. Bake fennel and tomatoes until soft, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Mix in beans and 6 tablespoons chopped fennel fronds. Bake 5 minutes longer to heat through. Transfer mixture to large shallow bowl. Sprinkle with remaining chopped fronds. Serve warm or at room temperature.
