One-Pan Spicy Meatballs with Lentils and Fennel

Sausage meatballs, lentils and sweet roasted fennel all cook together in one baking dish, and the lentils soak up the pork juices as they go. A splash of vinegar and fresh parsley wake it up at the end.

Serves 4 · 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 fennel bulb, cored and cut through the root into ½-inch wedges, plus ¼ cup fennel fronds
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 1½ pounds bulk hot Italian sausage (or links with the casings removed)
• 1 egg
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups brown lentils
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon sherry, white wine or apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup fresh parsley leaves, plus more for serving

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 450°F. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, toss the fennel wedges with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 10 minutes, until browned underneath. It won't be tender yet.
2. While the fennel roasts, mix the sausage and egg in a bowl until combined, then roll into 12 meatballs about 1½ inches across.
3. Add the stock, lentils, garlic and rosemary to the dish with the fennel. Stir and season with ¾ teaspoon salt.
4. Nestle the meatballs into the lentils and drizzle them with a little olive oil. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until the meatballs are browned and the lentils are tender.
5. Lift the meatballs onto a plate and pull out the rosemary sprig. Stir the vinegar, parsley and most of the fennel fronds into the lentils, then season to taste.
6. Spoon the lentils and their liquid into shallow bowls, set the meatballs on top and garnish with more parsley and the rest of the fronds.

Tips

• No fennel? Thinly sliced carrots cook at about the same rate and work well in its place.

Adapted from Ali Slagle, NYT Cooking.