Pasta con Finocchio e Acciughe

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil - the water should taste like the Mediterranean.

Add the sliced fennel bulbs to the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes, then add the bucatini. Cook together until the pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes. (Cooking the fennel with the pasta is an old Sicilian trick - they marry their flavors in the same pot.)

While the pasta cooks, heat 2 tablespoons of that beautiful Sicilian olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add half the chopped fennel bulb to the skillet and sauté for 3 minutes until it starts to soften and perfume the oil.

Add the minced garlic, half the wild fennel fronds, the chopped anchovies, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring constantly, for 6-8 minutes until the fennel is tender and the anchovies have melted into the oil.

Reserve 1 cup of the starchy cooking water, then drain the pasta and fennel together.

Roughly chop the boiled fennel and add it back to the skillet along with the drained pasta and half cup of the cooking liquid. Toss everything together like you're conducting an orchestra.

Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, add the remaining wild fennel fronds, and toss well. Add more cooking liquid if needed - the pasta should be silky, not dry.

Taste and adjust with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately in warmed bowls.