Sicilian Orzo Salad | With Oven-Roasted Fennel & Orange

Preheat the oven to 200 °C top/bottom heat. Trim and clean the fennel, setting aside the tender fennel fronds for garnish. Cut the bulbs in half lengthwise, cut out the core, and slice the halves into thin strips. Spread the sliced fennel on a baking sheet lined with baking paper, drizzle with 15 ml of olive oil, and season with a pinch of salt. Roast in the hot oven for about 20–25 minutes until the edges are golden brown and caramelized.

Meanwhile, bring plenty of salted water to a boil in a pot. Add the risoni pasta and cook for about 8–10 minutes according to package instructions until al dente. Then drain, rinse briefly with cold water, and leave to cool in a large bowl.

Thoroughly peel one orange, removing all the white pith, and cut out the fruit segments. Squeeze and catch the juice from the remaining membranes. Halve and juice the second orange. Whisk together the fresh orange juice (approx. 40–50 ml) with the white wine vinegar, liquid honey, the remaining olive oil (35 ml), and a pinch of salt and pepper to create a smooth dressing.