This oven baked 4-ingredients creamy roasted fennel penne is the kind of simple late-summer dinner that feels a little special without making a weeknight harder than it needs to be. Roasting fennel brings out its mellow sweetness, and when it gets tossed with penne, cream, and parmesan, the whole dish turns rich, cozy, and surprisingly elegant. It has that unfussy Italian home-cooking feel where a few good ingredients do all the work, which is probably why it’s the kind of recipe people keep passing along to neighbors and friends.
Serve this pasta with a crisp green salad dressed in lemony vinaigrette or a plate of sliced tomatoes to balance the richness. A piece of warm crusty bread is great for catching any creamy bits left in the baking dish, and if you want to round it out for guests, grilled chicken, roasted shrimp, or a glass of chilled white wine all pair nicely with the sweet roasted fennel and parmesan.
Oven Baked 4-Ingredients Creamy Roasted Fennel Penne
Servings: 4
Ingredients
2 medium fennel bulbs, trimmed and sliced into thin wedges
12 ounces penne pasta
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spread the sliced fennel in an oval baking dish or on a parchment-lined sheet pan in an even layer, then roast for 20 to 25 minutes until tender and deeply golden at the edges.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the penne until just shy of al dente, about 1 to 2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain the pasta.
3. Add the drained penne to the roasted fennel. Pour in the heavy cream and add about three-quarters of the parmesan, then stir everything together right in the baking dish until the pasta is well coated.
4. Sprinkle the remaining parmesan over the top and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until bubbling around the edges and lightly golden on top. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Variations & Tips
Add a little seasoning: Even with a 4-ingredient format, a pinch of black pepper, red pepper flakes, or a little lemon zest added before baking can wake up the whole dish. If your parmesan is especially salty, taste before adding any extra salt.
Make it extra browned: For a more gratin-style top, switch the oven to broil for 1 to 2 minutes at the end and watch it closely. That gives you deeper golden spots and a slightly crispier finish.
Swap the pasta shape: If you don’t have penne, rigatoni, ziti, or fusilli all work well because they hold onto the cream and bits of roasted fennel nicely. Just keep the pasta slightly undercooked before it goes into the oven.
Meal prep tip: Roast the fennel and boil the pasta earlier in the day, then combine everything with the cream and cheese when you’re ready to bake. It’s a good one to keep in mind for busy evenings when you want something comforting without hovering over the stove.