Roasted Fennel Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 fennel bulbs, cored and sliced
• 2 large onions, peeled and sliced
• 8 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
• 2 tablespoons whole fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 can whole tomatoes, crushed by hand
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
• 1 pound short pasta

Directions

Set your oven to 450 degrees F. In a roasting dish, toss together the fennel, onion, garlic, oil, chili flakes, fennel seeds, salt, and pepper, then roast for 15 minutes, turning everything once or twice as it cooks. While that’s happening, bring a pot of salty water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Set aside some pasta cooking water. When the vegetables have had their 15 minutes, stir in the crushed tomatoes until well mixed. Put the dish back in the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes, just until the fennel is soft and beginning to brown. Drain the pasta, then toss it with the roasted vegetables and Parmesan, adding a splash of the reserved pasta cooking water if the sauce needs loosening so it coats the pasta. Serve right away.