Preheat your oven to 190ºC/375ºF. This temperature will help to roast the fennel perfectly, allowing it to become tender and caramelized.
Begin by picking off the fennel fronds. They make a beautiful garnish, so don’t discard them yet. Then cut off the stems and discard them.
Next, cut the fennel in half, then into quarters, and finally cut each quarter lengthwise to create eight wedges from each bulb. Each piece should be uniform so that they cook evenly.
Arrange the fennel slices in a single layer in a large baking dish. Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, and turn them over a couple of times to ensure they are well coated.
Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the fennel is soft and beautifully caramelized. After baking, set them aside.
While the fennel is baking, peel and finely chop the garlic and shallots. The smell of these ingredients sizzling will have your mouth watering.
In a cold frying pan, place the butter and melt it gently over low heat. Once melted, add in the chopped garlic and shallots. Cook until they become soft and fragrant.
Stir in the fresh oregano, the zest of the lemon, and the panko breadcrumbs. Cook until the breadcrumbs are crispy and golden, making sure to season generously with salt and pepper.
Transfer the crispy breadcrumb mixture to a small bowl and set aside. Now, place a pan of water over high heat. Once it comes to a rolling boil, salt it generously and add your linguine. Give it a stir to separate the strands and set your timer for a minute less than the package suggests.
In the same frying pan, pour in the cream, sprinkle with ground fennel, and season with salt and pepper. Allow it to heat up and then add the caramelized fennel. Keep it on low heat.
Once your timer goes off, check the pasta—it should be just al dente. If you like it cooked a bit more, give it another minute.
Take a ¼ cup of the pasta water and add it to your sauce, then drain the linguine (remember to reserve another ½ cup of the water).
Add the linguine to the sauce and turn to coat well. If the sauce appears too thick, add more pasta water as needed.
Serve immediately with a wedge of lemon, a generous sprinkling of the crispy pangrattato, and garnished with the reserved fennel fronds or some fresh oregano.
