Ingredients
1 pound curly-edged, long-cut pasta, such as long fusilli or mafalde
About 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
4 anchovy fillets
1 small bulb fennel—a handful of feathery fronds reserved and the bulb trimmed, quartered, cored and very thinly sliced crosswise
1 pound small, firm zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced on an angle crosswise
1 red chile, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fennel pollen or fennel seeds
Juice of 1 lemon, plus 1 teaspoon grated peel
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, shredded or torn
Freshly grated Pecorino-Romano cheese
1/3 pound ricotta salata cheese, crumbled
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving a ladleful of the pasta cooking water.
While the pasta is working, in a large skillet, heat the EVOO, 4 turns of the pan, over medium heat. Add the anchovies to melt into the oil completely, 2-3 minutes. Add the fennel bulb, zucchini, chile, garlic, fennel pollen or seeds and lemon peel; cook until crisp-tender, 5-6 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and the reserved pasta cooking water. Add the pasta and toss to combine; mix in the basil.
Serve the pasta in shallow bowls. Top with lots of fennel fronds, the Pecorino-Romano and ricotta salata.