Sauce with fennel seeds in it?

[chadberg00]

Anyone else enjoy fennel seed in their homemade sauce?  I do enjoy the licorice like flavor when we are making a more robust sauce competing with stronger toppings like peperoni and Cento crushed tomatoes.

My favorite Neapolitan pies I don't add much to canned San Marzano's other than salt and bit of basil and oregano we grow out back...but it just doesn't have the kick when we mix up our weekly pies and try other styles and toppings IMHO.

[Tracydr]

I use fennel in my sauce. I grind the seeds. Love it. Gives that Italian sausage flavor without the sausage.

[chadberg00]

I use fennel in my sauce. I grind the seeds. Love it. Gives that Italian sausage flavor without the sausage.

Glad I'm not the only one, Tracy.     Have a few different type sauces depending on the pie.  Love fennel seeds in say a Chicago deep dish style sauce
but don't usually use it in Neapolitan pies.  They go a long way so doesn't seem to need much to get that licorice flavor.