Name: One-Pan Herbed Pork Tenderloin with Fennel, Tomatoes, Artichokes, and Olives
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Ingredients: 2 (12- to 16-ounce) pork tenderloins , trimmed; 2 teaspoons herbes de Provence; Salt and pepper; 2 large fennel bulbs , stalks discarded, bulbs halved, cored, and cut into ½-inch-thick strips; 12 ounces frozen artichoke hearts , thawed and patted dry; ½ cup pitted kalamata olives , halved; 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 18 ounces cherry tomatoes , halved; 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest; 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Why This Recipe Works

This is the kind of recipe that works as well for company as it does for a weeknight dinner. Cooking the tenderloins until buttery-smooth was key, and roasting them atop a bed of vegetables buffered the heat to ensure juicy meat all the way through. Rather than searing the meat, we rubbed it with herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper. The Mediterranean seasoning inspired our selection of vegetables: sweet, delicately flavored fennel, earthy artichoke hearts (frozen, to keep things easy), and briny olives. After softening the fennel in the microwave, we tossed it with the other vegetables and olive oil, and spread the mixture into the roasting pan, placing the tenderloins on top. The vegetables were nearly cooked when the pork was done, so we removed the meat, added in juicy halved cherry tomatoes and lemon zest, and let the vegetables finish in the oven. After 10 minutes, the fennel was tender, the tomatoes had softened and begun to release their juice, and the bright aroma of lemon filled the kitchen.

Before You Begin

Be sure to thoroughly thaw and pat dry the frozen artichokes; otherwise their moisture will inhibit the browning of the roasted vegetables. Herbes de Provence, a blend of dried herbs such as rosemary, basil, marjoram, bay leaves, thyme, and lavender, is available in the spice aisle of supermarkets.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Pat pork dry with paper towels and season with herbes de Provence, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Combine fennel and 2 tablespoons water in bowl, cover, and microwave until softened, about 5 minutes; drain well. Toss drained fennel, artichokes, olives, and oil together in bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Spread vegetables into 16 by 12-inch roasting pan and lay pork on top. Roast until pork registers 140 to 145 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes, turning tenderloins over halfway through roasting.

Remove pan from oven. Transfer pork to cutting board, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, stir cherry tomatoes and lemon zest into vegetables and continue to roast until fennel is tender and tomatoes have softened, about 10 minutes.

Remove pan from oven. Stir parsley into roasted vegetables. Slice pork into ½-inch-thick slices and serve with vegetables.