Pasta with Champagne Lemon Sauce

Rinse the lemon in hot water, pat dry, and finely grate the peel. Squeeze the juice from the lemon. Peel and finely chop the shallot and garlic. Rinse the fennel, pat dry, and thinly slice half for garnish. Remove the stalk from the fennel. Finely chop the remaining fennel. Heat the olive oil in a pan, and sauté the sliced fennel over medium heat briefly. Drain on paper towels. Add the chopped fennel, garlic, shallot, and lemon zest to the pan and cook over low heat for 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with the sugar, and cook until dissolved. Deglaze with the lemon juice, then stir in the vegetable stock and creme fraiche. Simmer for 6-8 minutes, until the fennel is soft.

Cook the pasta according to package directions in boiling salted water until al dente.

Puree the fennel-lemon sauce with an immersion blender. Add the champagne, bring to a boil briefly, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Drain the pasta well, add the the pan with the sauce, and toss to combine.