Serves 4
The fennel can be fully assembled ahead of time, brought to room temperature and then baked in a hot oven.

Ingredients >
4 large bulbs fennel
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup water or vegetable or chicken stock
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup toasted breadcrumbs
Butter to dot the top

Method >
Instructions: Cut the fennel into quarters lengthwise and remove the tough central cores. Trim away any bruised outer leaves. If the bulbs are very large, cut them into eighths. Preheat the oven to 450°.

Warm the olive oil or butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the fennel and cook, turning as needed, until golden, 5 to 8 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper, some freshly grated nutmeg, then add the water or stock and cover the pan. Cook until very tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and top evenly with the cheese and toasted breadcrumbs. Dot the top with a bit of butter. Bake until hot and bubbly, about 15 to 18 minutes.

Per serving: 280 calories, 7 g protein, 27 g carbohydrate, 17 g fat (3 g saturated), 5 mg cholesterol, 356 mg sodium, 8 g fiber.