The days are getting colder, the nights getting longer and winter is staring us down. You may still have some nostalgia of fresh summer dinners on late summer evenings, but let’s embrace the endless possibilities the autumnal bounty presents us.

We know everyone is rushing home from work to escape to chill in the air and nestle in, so how about a perfect weekday dinner to help you start this new week? Try this lovely, light and warming Gemelli with Roasted Fennel and Black Garlic for dinner this week. Wonderful and warming flavors of fennel combine with black garlic for an incredibly satisfying experience that your kids will love as well.

Bonus: This recipe is vegetarian, and can easily be made vegan by either substituting with a vegan cheese or ditching the cheese altogether (I know…sacrilege as a Wisconson native!) If you’d like to add some meat, baked chicken breasts would go perfectly!

Thanks to the Pinterest Community for this recipe!

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Servings: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 box Gemelli pasta

• 2 heads fennel sliced thin and roasted

• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 5 Black Garlic cloves sliced

• 1 Jar Tomato and Basil Sauce to taste

• black pepper to taste

• ¼ cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese grated

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 400°F. Toss fennel with 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper and roast on a sheet tray until slightly brown and soft. Bring large pot of water to a boil. In a large skillet, sauté sliced black garlic in olive oil for 1 minute. Add roasted fennel and sauté for 1 minute, add tomato sauce and bring to a simmer.

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain reserving ½ cup cooking liquid and then adding the liquid to the sauce. Add pasta to sauce and stir to combine. Remove from heat and add cheese, and toss well.

Serve immediately, garnished with additional cheese and a sprinkle of fresh parsley if desired. Pair this delightful dish with a side salad of mixed greens, dressed simply with lemon and olive oil to complement the rich flavors of the pasta. Whether you're sharing this meal with family around the dinner table or enjoying a quiet night in, Gemelli with Roasted Fennel and Black Garlic is sure to become a new favorite in your autumn recipe repertoire. Embrace the warmth and comfort of this dish as the perfect antidote to the brisk evenings of the season.