I’ve decided to post a description of this simple meal because it, and an infinite number of variations of it, works so well as a refreshing break from dinners, or a series of dinners, centered on protein.

• one small spring fennel bulb from Alewife Farm, the stems removed, cut lengthwise into  wedges, each piece retaining a portion of the root end, sautéed, along with the stems, trimmed of their fronds, in a little olive oil inside a large antique high-sided copper pan until softened and beginning to color, cut sections of a section of a stem of spring garlic from Berried Treasures Farm added near the end, along with a crumbled piece of a dried golden/orange habanada pepper (that one’s a little complicated), then 8 ounces of cooked and drained Afeltra spaghettoni, from Eataly Flatiron, added and stirred over medium-high heat with some of the reserved pasta cooking water, and more than a handful of lengthwise-halved golden pear-shaped tomatoes from Alex’s Tomato Farm, that had been sourced at the Saturday 23rd St Greenmarket, added and stirred into the pasta, the mix seasoned with a little freshly-ground black pepper, a generous amount of the fennel fronds, rinsed and chopped, tossed in before the spaghettoni was arranged in 2 shallow bowls, drizzled around the edges with a little olive oil
• the wine was an Italian (Tuscany/Maremma) white, Sassoregale Maremma Toscana Vermentino 2017, from Philippe Wines
• the music was Jordi Savall’s album, ‘Orient-Occident Vol 2 – Hommage a la Syrie‘