Last night I was planning to make a recipe for spaghetti with chard and pancetta from Pasta Harvest, a recipe which has the advantage of using the chard stems in the pasta and generating a chard leaf salad to eat afterwards.

Iris was excited about this idea. The other day we were at the U District farmers market, and we visited the adjacent community garden, where I pointed out a little baby red chard growing in one plot. This didn’t seem to make much of an impression at the time, but then later, when I was putting her to bed…

> **Me:** And we went to the farmers market.

> **Iris:** Dada, you know a plant called chard?

When we got to QFC, though, I had to dash Iris’s hopes, because when I saw the fennel, I knew it was time to make fennel in the style of the chef, meaning with lots of butter. “That’s okay,” said Iris. Here’s how I made it, and it was great.

**PENNE WITH FENNEL AND BACON**
Serves 3

*This is actually less butter than the chef used.*

3 strips thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into half-inch strips
5 tablespoons butter
2 large fennel bulbs, cored and sliced thin
pinch red pepper flakes
3/4 pound penne rigate
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano
salt

1. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat.

2. Add the butter to the pan. When it’s melted, add the fennel and a healthy sprinkle of salt and the red pepper flakes stir well. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally until very tender, about 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the penne and cook until al dente. Drain and return to the pot. Add the fennel and butter, the reserved bacon and the cheese. Stir well and serve in warmed big bowls.