Pasta with radicchio and caramelized fennel - oven or stove?

I have a vision for my linguine that involves roasted radicchio and caramelized fennel. Also bacon, cut up small and browned in a pan. Can I bring this vision into fruition without using the oven AND the stove?

linzarella
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6 Comments

linzarella
linzarella November 9, 2011
Update: I crisped up some bacon and garlic, removed them from the pan, added a bit of olive oil, then the fennel along with some onion. Cooked it covered over low heat for about 25 minutes, at which point it was perfectly silky and sauce like, and not at all stringy like I had feared. Then I uncovered it, cranked up the heat and added back in the garlic and bacon, along with the radicchio and some white wine. Cooked just until the wine reduced a bit, then tossed with pasta. Everyone loved it!
 
Kristy M.
Kristy M. November 8, 2011
I don't see why not. Brown the bacon first and use the same pan to cook the fennel and radicchio in the fat.
 
Kristy M.
Kristy M. November 8, 2011
It won't be roasted radicchio, but it'll still be good. Isn't anything cooked in bacon fat good?
 
linzarella
linzarella November 8, 2011
Yeah...that's what I was thinking. My worries are that the radicchio won't get browned and crispy enough, and the fennel will remain a little tough and stringy - which is why I tend to roast it rather than sauté. Any tips to avoid these pitfalls?
 
hardlikearmour
hardlikearmour November 8, 2011
I wonder if you could brown the bacon then remove it, add the fennel and cook on a lowish heat with a cover to get a little steaming action. Once the fennel is close to done, crank the heat up and add the radicchio. Let us know what you do, and how it works, please!
 
linzarella
linzarella November 8, 2011
Hardlikearmor, that sounds like a great plan! I will let you know how it turns out...
 
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