Baked Fennel & Pasta with Bechamel

This gratin is a sophisticated evolution of the classic Tuscan school lunch, trading simple tomato sauce for a silky, mustard-spiked bechamel. The fennel softens beautifully as it braises with the pasta, losing its punchy aniseed edge and becoming sweet and buttery. It is a deeply comforting, golden dish from the heart of Buonconvento that feels both rustic and refined.

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