• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

PepperOnPizza

  • All Recipes
  • Hello There!
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

15 Minutes Fettucine in Fennel Frond Pesto

Published: May 27, 2016 Modified: Aug 22, 2019 By Sujata Shukla This blog generates income via ads. This post may contain affiliate links. PepperOnPizza may earn a commission for purchases made after clicking these links. View our disclosure policy for details

Sharing is caring!

3shares
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest3
  • Yummly
Fennel frond Pesto pasta

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This Fennel Frond Pesto Pasta  is now on my go to list of quick dinners to put together. It actually took less than 15 minutes from start to finish! Of course the pasta was a quick cooking one, and the home made pesto was already available, but still its lovely to be able to put together a delicious meal with such little effort! Making the pesto would have taken another 10 minutes or so.

Fettucine in Fennel Frond Pesto
Fettucine in Fennel Frond Pesto

I had this box of fettucine shaped into little rolls of ribbon, and I thought they would go well with a fresh pesto. The Fennel which had been delivered recently by First Agro Farms (zero pesticide vegetables and greens supplied right to my door) had an abundant head of fronds. More like a bush than a head, actually. I had used most of the fronds to make 2 jars of pesto, with pine nuts and with my homemade basil oil. You can imagine the flavours – basil, olive oil, fennel, pine nuts, all worked together into a unique taste. Making Fennel Frond Pesto Pasta was naturally the next step.

Fennel Fronds_PepperOnPizza
Lush fronds of fennel

You could of course make this Fennel Frond Pesto pasta with penne or any other pasta, and substitute the fennel frond pesto for another of your choice. Or throw in some sun dried tomato or sauté mushrooms instead of the zucchini. Add chilli flakes in the end. The pasta would adapt to all this. I would suggest however that less is more in this case, let the pesto rule, and any other ingredient be added only to give another texture to the dish.

As I have said in the recipe below, start the pasta cooking in its pot, and while it is boiling away, quickly put together all the other ingredients, so that everything is ready by the time you have drained the cooked pasta, and you just have to toss it all together.If you are making pesto afresh, add 5 – 10 minutes to the time required.

Here are the links to my recipes on this blog, for Fennel Frond Pesto and for Home made Basil oil. The Basil oil was used in making the pesto. If you want to use a simple basil pesto, I have given the link for that too!

Fennel Frond Pesto in Basil Oil

Dark green fennel frond pesto in a white bowl, with fennel showing its fronds, in the background

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fragrant Home made Basil Oil

A tall narrow bottle filled with dark green basil oil, on white green edged plastic sheet, with basil leaves strewned around and a glass bowl of basil oil in the foreground. A white an green striped napkin in the background

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pesto of Purple Basil, Pine nuts & Parmesan

Green coloured Pesto of Purple basil leaves in a glass bowl. Purple basil leaves scattered around and books by Jamie Oliver, one with a mustard colour and another white, in the background

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fennel Frond Pesto Pasta_PepperOnPizza.com

Fettucine with a Pesto of Fennel Fronds and Pine nuts, with sautéed zucchini, olives, walnuts and grated cheese

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: continental, Italian
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4 portion
Author: Sujata Shukla
Delicious Fettucine Pasta tossed with zucchini, olives and cheese and a pesto of Fennel fronds with pine nuts and my home made Basil oil.
Print Recipe

Ingredients

For the Pasta:

  • 200 gms pasta Fettucine
  • 2 litres water - for cooking the pasta
  • 15 gms salt - for the pasta
  • 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 teaspoons basil leaves - minced
  • 1 cup zucchini - sliced
  • 4 Olives
  • 3 tablespoons pesto
  • 1/4 cup cheese

For Garnish

  • 8 - 10 Walnuts - shelled
  • to taste salt
  • to taste Fresh ground pepper

Instructions

To Cook the Pasta: (Time: Cooking 8-10 minutes)

  • Top up the water in the pot/ pasta cooker, as per pasta package instructions and add salt. The pasta brand I used, recommended 1 litre for every 100 gm of pasta, and 7 gm of salt for each litre.
  • Bring the water in the pot back to a rolling boil (boiling all over the pot) and add the fettucine. Cook as per package instructions, stirring frequently. (The brand I used specified 6 minutes, and it was just right when I checked at 6 minutes).
    Cook the Pasta_PepperOnPizza.com
  • Turn off the stove when the pasta is done till al dente (cooked but firm to the bite), drain and set aside.
    Drain the cooked pasta

While the Pasta is cooking:

  • Grate the cheese. I used Cheddar, but any firm cheese of your choice would be good.
    Ingredients for Pesto pasta
  • Slice the zucchini into thin strips. Slice the olives into rings. I have taken olives stuffed with blue cheese, but plain olives or those stuffed with pimento may be used instead.
  • Shred the basil leaves, mince the garlic. If using dry basil, use 1/2 teaspoon of the same. Toast the walnuts lightly on a hot pan for about a minute, and set aside to cool.
  • Heat a pan and add olive oil. Add the garlic and basil leaves (or dry basil if using), sauté for a minute, taking care not to brown the garlic.
  • Add the zucchini, sprinkle a pinch of salt, sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the sliced olives, after reserving a few olive rings for garnish. Take the pan off the stove, so that the zucchini stop cooking.
    Add Zucchini and saute

To Put the Pasta together: (Time about 2 minutes)

  • Place the drained Pasta in a serving dish. Add the pesto and toss. I have made this pasta with a pesto of fennel fronds and pine nuts in a homemade basil oil. The same method would work with any pesto you use, with of course the flavours being different.
  • Add half the grated cheese, and toss. The cheese would begin to melt in the hot pasta. Add the cooked zucchini and olives. Mix them in.
  • Garnish with slices of walnut, the reserved olive rings and the remaining cheese as required. Season with fresh ground pepper and serve hot.
    Garnish the pasta

Sharing is caring!

3shares
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest3
  • Yummly
Previous Post: « Turmeric Walnuts Fennel Soup with Raw Mango
Next Post: Puliyodharai – Spiced Tamarind Rice made from Pulikachal »

Reader Interactions

Have something to Ask or Share? Let me Know! Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Hello There!

Hello from Sujata Shukla, the Author, Owner, Head Cook and Bottle washer at PepperOnPizza.com. The recipes I share with you are from fresh produce, vegetarian except for the occasional egg, usually made from scratch. Traditional Indian, specially Tamil recipes are my forte, along with a slew of Salads and Soups for a healthy lifestyle. Check out my Author Page!

Categories

Archives

PepperOnPizza's Most Popular Posts on Social Media

Overhead view of a cup of yellow curried chilli zucchini soup, garnished with slices of red chillies, coriander, parsley and mint leaves and walnuts. A white napkin striped with dark blue to the left, and walnuts and red chillies to the right

Curried Chilli Zucchini Soup - Spice Up Your Evening

Shares: 316

Matar ka Nimona, a fresh green pea and potato curry in a tomato onion spices gravy, in a round brass bowl on a light brown background.

Matar ka Nimona - Spiced Green Pea Curry

Shares: 296

Thick french style 2 bean sorrel soup granished with red sorrel leaves and black eyed peas seen on the surface. Red sorrel leaves in the foreground, all on a wooden background

French Style 2 Bean Sorrel Soup - Nutritious, Warming, Easy

Shares: 283

Colourful Rotini Pasta from juicy cherry tomatoes, garlic, fresh basil and spirally wholewheat pasta, on a white plate

Quick Rotini Pasta in Garlicky Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce

Shares: 282

Cluster Beans Paruppu Usili_PepperOnPizza.com

Kothavarangai Paruppu Usili - Cluster Beans Dhal Paste Curry

Shares: 260

Easy Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce_PepperOnPizza.com

Easy Tomato Basil Sauce For Pasta or Pizza

Shares: 238

A glass bowl with a greenish Purple Basil Pesto with some Purple basil leaves alongside

Easy Purple Basil Pesto with Pine nuts and Parmesan

Shares: 226

Lemon Thyme Rasam - fresh thyme adds a twist to the traditional South Indian spiced lentil and tamarind soup. Rich in nutrients, makes a tasty Soup too!

Lemon Thyme Rasam

Shares: 207

Roasted Tomato Couscous Salad with tomatoes of many colours and sizes, fresh basil, oregano, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice for a healthy refreshing salad

Herby Roasted Tomato Couscous Salad

Shares: 204

A glass bottle with green homemade basil oil. A green and white napkin in the background

Easy Fragrant Homemade Basil Oil

Shares: 203

Footer

Categories

Site Policies / Disclaimers

  • Medical Disclaimer
  • PRIVACY POLICY & DISCLOSURE POLICY
  • Hello There!
  • Contact Us

Copyright Notice:

© Sujata Shukla and PepperOnPizza.com, [2015 to 2019]. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material or any part of the content, including but not limited to Recipes, Posts and Images, without the express and written permission from this site’s author and owner is strictly prohibited. Full recipe is not to be posted – Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Sujata Shukla and to PepperOnPizza.com with appropriate and specific links directing to the original content.

Copyright © 2019 PepperOnPizza on the Cravings Pro Theme

3shares
  • 3