Roasted Fennel, Beetroot, and Tomatoes with Buffalo Mozzarella
My hometown was never exactly known for great food, but things changed a few years ago when a chef who had trained abroad returned and opened a small restaurant. His cooking was unlike anything we’d seen locally — it was elegant, balanced, and full of flavour. It sparked a quiet food revolution: suddenly, other places began to up their game, and today there are far more good options than I ever remember growing up.
This recipe is inspired by a dish I tried there on a visit home last year. I fell in love with the combination of flavours and textures so much that when I went back with my husband, I refused to leave until he ordered it too. It became a mild obsession, and eventually I had to recreate my own version.
Mine isn’t an exact replica, but it keeps the spirit of the original — tasty vegetables, creamy mozzarella, and fresh herbs — with a few small twists. The key is using real buffalo mozzarella. It’s worth the investment: the end result tastes like something you’d be served in a fine restaurant, yet it’s simple enough to make at home.
Prep time: 40 minutes | Serves: 2 | Plant points: 7
Ingredients
1 large fennel (or 2 small), cut lengthways into wedges
2-3 small raw beetroots (or 1-2 large), cut into bite-sized wedges
20 cherry tomatoes, ideally on the vine
10 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 buffalo mozzarella (or 2 if you don’t like sharing 😉)
30g fresh chives, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
30g raw pistachios, roughly chopped
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Spelt or rye sourdough, toasted (optional)
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a roasting tray with baking paper.
Place the beetroot and fennel on the tray, drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil, season, and roast for 20 minutes.
Remove the tray, add the tomatoes, and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil. Return to the oven for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are soft, lightly charred, and still holding their shape.
Meanwhile, blend the remaining olive oil with the chives, garlic, and a pinch of salt until smooth and bright green. (You’ll have more than you need — the rest keeps well in the fridge for a few days.)
Let the vegetables cool for a couple of minutes.
Divide the mozzarella between two plates, drizzle generously with the chive oil, then add the roasted vegetables and chopped pistachios. Finish with another drizzle of chive oil and serve with toasted sourdough.
Why it works
This dish delivers maximum flavour with surprisingly little effort — roasting the fennel and beetroot brings out their natural sweetness, while the tomatoes add hints of acidity. The bright chive oil lifts everything with fresh, herbal notes, the pistachios add a crunchy contrast, and the buffalo mozzarella ties it all together with its soft creaminess.
It’s a nutritional powerhouse too: lpenty of fibre and plant polyphenols from the vegetables, plus healthy fats from extra virgin olive oil and nuts. Simple, elegant, and good for you.
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