Roasted fennel shines on the side

(Chop the fennel fronds for use in salads)

Fennel is one of those beautiful plants that probably recognizes its stature in the vegetable world — all feathery and showy on top with a strong solid base.

Finnochio, as it's called in Italian, is delicious raw in salads, turned into soups or roasted with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper. (Never mind the insulting Italian slang word associated with it you might have heard in episodes of "The Sopranos"!) Finnochio deserves a lot of love, because it is so good and versatile.

I spied some beauties at the farmers market last week and immediately picked one up to roast as a side dish to a pasta main course I was thinking about making. Roasted fennel goes so well as a side with pasta and tomato sauce — I love the subtle licorice flavor and crusty mouthfeel that comes from roasting and finishing it with bread crumbs and a little Parmesan cheese.

It's a great dish to make as the days get shorter and cooler — the aroma will fill your kitchen and make your mouth water in anticipation.

Here's all you have to do:

(Sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese on top of roasted fennel)

Roasted Fennel

• Thoroughly rinse a large bulb of fennel and then chop off its top, reserving the fronds for salads, soups or stews (certainly use some of them in this dish as well).
• Chop it like celery and place in a baking dish.

• Drizzle the slices with a little olive oil; season with salt and pepper.
• Roast in a preheated 400-degree oven for about 15-20 minutes.
• Pull the pan out of the oven and add some bread crumbs on top along with a bit of grated Parmesan cheese.
• Return the pan to the oven and roast another 5-10 minutes until bubbly and browned.

Roasted fennel makes a great side dish alongside just about any pasta dish.