Ingredients
- For the pesto:
- 2tbs toasted pine nuts
- 2tbs capers
- 20g grated Parmesan, plus extra for garnish
- 1tbs olive oil
- For the pasta:
- 160g bucatini pasta
- 1 small fennel bulb
- 2tbs olive oil
- 2tsp fennel seeds, crushed
- Sea salt and black pepper
- Juice of half a lemon
- Zest of half a lemon
- Start by making the pesto. Place the toasted pine nuts, capers, Parmesan and olive oil in a blender and blend to a rough paste, then set aside.
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to the boil and add the bucatini. Cook for eight to 10 minutes until just cooked, then strain, keeping some of the pasta water to use for the sauce.
- When the pasta goes into the water, place a nonstick pan on a medium heat. Pick some of the green fennel fronds off the top of the fennel bulb to be kept for garnish. Remove any wilted outer part, slice lengthways into quarters and remove the core, then dice evenly. Add the olive oil to the pan along with the diced fennel, crushed fennel seeds and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook on a medium heat for five to six minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fennel is caramelising.
- At this stage the pasta should be cooked. Add a ladle of pasta water to the pan and bring to a simmer. Then add the strained bucatini and two tablespoons of the pine nut and caper pesto to the pan and toss it through the sauce. Heat it through for one minute.
- Remove the pan from the heat and finish with some lemon juice and lemon zest. Serve with some more grated Parmesan and black pepper, and garnish with some of the reserved chopped fennel fronds.
