Fennel Pasta with Peas, Lemon and Basil

I've never cooked with fennel before, but it recently came in a vegetable box and I needed to find a use for it. Luckily, I found this lovely recipe in one of my random vegetarian cook books. I was quite apprehensive about cooking this as the smell of fennel is very overwhelming and like aniseed, which I am not keen on. However, when cooked it loses much of it's pungency and instead just gives a nice flavour.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 garlic cloves
2 bulbs fennel
1 tsp lemon zest
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried parsley
250g peas
350 - 400 g pasta (i.e. 4 servings worth)
salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. Fry garlic, fennel and lemon zest for 5-10 minutes on a medium-low heat until the fennel has softened.

2. Add the herbs, stir in, lower the heat and season with salt and pepper as desired. Keep an eye on it whilst you cook the pasta, and remove from heat if it seems to be over cooking.

3. Cook pasta in a large saucepan of salted water; 5 minutes from the end, add the frozen peas. (If you prefer, you can cook the pasta and peas in separate sauce pans)

4. Drain pasta and peas, add to the fennel and garlic and mix thoroughly.

Serve immediately, with cheese if desired.