Oven-baked fennel: the crust starts with the cut
A crisp crust does not always require béchamel. In Cucchiaio d'Argento's “Finocchi gratinati al forno leggeri”, the technical point is different: the fennel is coated raw, without preliminary blanching.[1]
This culinary feature revisits a recipe read in full: it is not a kitchen test performed by our editorial team and does not suggest untested variations.
**The cut matters before the baking tray.** The source specifies vertical slices approximately 5–6 millimetres thick and advises against trimming the base too deeply, so the slices stay intact.[1]
The coating combines egg, breadcrumbs and grated Parmigiano Reggiano; the slices go first into egg beaten with salt and pepper, then into the breadcrumb-and-cheese mixture.[1]
The distinguishing feature is therefore the coating on individual slices, rather than a sauce poured over them.
**The source's proportions, without additions.** For four people, Cucchiaio specifies three fennel bulbs, two eggs, 100 grams of breadcrumbs and 40 grams of grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus extra-virgin olive oil, salt and black pepper.[1]
It gives no numerical quantities for those final three ingredients, and we do not invent them.[1]
The recipe card lists 20 minutes of preparation and 30 minutes of cooking separately.[1]
We report those detailed timings for planning, rather than the promotional introduction's “a little over half an hour”.[1]
**Into the oven.** The coated slices are arranged on baking paper, drizzled with oil and cooked in an oven preheated to 200 °C for 30 minutes, or until golden; the source recommends serving immediately.[1]
It does not specify a conventional or fan setting, so we do not assign one.[1]
Our editorial suggestion is to focus on a particular technique rather than turn every side dish into a health promise. “Leggeri”, meaning “light”, is part of the source's title, not our nutritional assessment. We attribute no undocumented regional origins, weight-loss properties or traditions to the dish. For the complete sequence and process photographs, we refer readers to the original recipe without reusing its images.
[Read the complete Cucchiaio d'Argento recipe in Italian](https://www.cucchiaio.it/ricetta/finocchi-gratinati-forno-leggeri/).
## Sources
[1] https://www.cucchiaio.it/ricetta/finocchi-gratinati-forno-leggeri