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When the first asparagus starts popping up in the farmer’s market, this is one of my go-to dishes to celebrate spring. I love the combination of fresh, crunchy green asparagus and fennel...and how could you go wrong with a warm pancetta dressing and anything topped with an egg? <br /> <br />If you haven't tried fennel pollen, I highly recommend it. Fennel pollen, harvested from fennel flowers before the plants go to see, is milder and more aromatic than fennel seed. One sprinkle transforms anything you put it on into something magical. You can find fennel pollen at some specialty food stores or buy it online. <br /> <br />Don’t stop at spring, make panzanella year-round! This recipe is versatile, just substitute the asparagus and fennel with your favorite seasonal produce—try it with the summer with fresh tomatoes and herbs, in the fall add roasted butternut squash and baby spinach, in the winter toss in ribbons of carrot, fennel and kale. The seasonal possibilities are endless! <br /> <br />Note: If you want to make this salad vegetarian, you can omit the pancetta and make the dressing with extra virgin olive oil instead of the rendered pancetta fat. <br />

Oct. 1, 2021, 11:50 a.m.

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