One-pan baked veggies with roast fennel and herby ricotta

Though the method may be simple, there’s plenty going on in this dish – everything you need is perfectly balanced with the creamy lemon-zest ricotta and the sweet aniseed of fennel taking centre stage.

The beauty of this is that you can eat with the seasons. Roasted veggies are often served as an autumn or winter warmer, so you’ll find a selection of seasonal root veg in the recipe; however, adapt it with whatever you find, such as swede and Brussels sprouts. As the weather warms up, add in aubergine and summer squash. Remember to add one vegetable that softens as it cooks – such as sweet potato or courgette – to add stickiness and to stop things burning. Otherwise, you might want to add a little stock to make sure everything cooks evenly and the flavours mingle in the best way possible. Don’t worry if you’re not a huge fan of the liquorice flavour of fennel – it mellows as you roast it. When it’s out of season, adjust the amount of fennel in the spice mix or just stick to coriander. If you love this flavour, check out the Beetroot Anise Millet Risotto (see here).

Serve with Ginger and Rhubarb Chutney (see here) to cut through the sweet root veggies and the creamy ricotta, or if you’ve chosen bitter brassicas, such as cauliflower and sprouts, then go with a sweet accompaniment, such as Black Pepper, Prune and Sesame Seed Chutney (see here).

Serves 4, or 6 as a side dish

2 medium parsnips (about 300g), peeled and quartered lengthways

3 medium beetroots (about 350g), peeled and cut into 6 wedges

3 medium carrots (about 450g), cut into 3cm (1¼ in) lengths

6 small turnips (about 300g), cut into 8 wedges

½ celeriac (about 270g), peeled and cut into 3cm (1¼ in) chunks

1–2 baby fennel bulbs (about 400g), trimmed, cut lengthways into 1cm (½ in) slices, reserving fronds for garnish

6 garlic cloves, peeled

60ml (¼ cup) olive oil

¾ tsp sea salt

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

FOR THE FENNEL SPICE MIXTURE (OPTIONAL)

50g (½ cup) fennel seeds

2 tbsp coriander seeds

2 tbsp white peppercorns

1½ tbsp sea salt

FOR THE HERBY RICOTTA

225g (1 cup) homemade whole-milk ricotta (see here)

4 tbsp chives, chopped

4 tbsp basil, chopped

2 tsp grated lemon zest, plus extra for topping

big pinch of sea salt

1 Start with the fennel spice mixture, if using. Dry-toast the fennel seeds, coriander seeds and peppercorns in a large heavy-based pan over medium-high heat. Watch carefully, tossing frequently so the seeds toast evenly, around 2 minutes. When fragrant, tip out the seeds onto a plate to cool. They must be cool before grinding, or they will clog up the blender blades. Blend to a fine powder with the salt, shaking the blender or scraping down occasionally. Store in a tightly sealed glass jar in a cool, dry place, or freeze.

2 Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan 180°C/gas mark 6). Combine the vegetables, garlic, oil, salt and lots of pepper in a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of the fennel spice mixture, if using, and get stuck in with your hands, tossing to combine and coat the vegetables.

3 Spread out the vegetables evenly in a large roasting pan. Roast them in the oven for 45 minutes, then use a large spoon to toss well. Return to the oven and roast for a further 15 minutes, or until just tender.

4 Meanwhile, combine the ricotta, chives, basil, lemon zest and salt in a small bowl with a fork. Dollop tablespoons of the ricotta on top of the vegetables and cook for a further 5 minutes in the oven. Serve immediately. Add fennel fronds to garnish.

TIP

•

Sprinkle this spice mixture on Kitchari (see here) and soups.