Spicy Seafood Pasta with Fennel - Alison Roman

Ingredients

• ¼ cup olive oil, plus more
• ½ large or 1 small fennel bulb (including stems and fronds), thinly sliced
• Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
• 1 ½–2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, plus more
• 1 tablespoon whole fennel seed
• ½ cup dry white wine (if not using wine, use ½ cup water with 1–2 tablespoons white wine vinegar)
• 4 cloves garlic, very well crushed, plus 2 cloves finely chopped
• 1 ½–2 pounds fresh tomatoes, any sort, chopped
• 1 pound pasta (any long noodle shape is my preference)
• 1 pound mussels or clams, scrubbed (and soaked, if using clams)
• 1 ½–2 pounds shrimp, head on or not
• 1 bunch basil, leaves torn
• 1–2 lemons, halved for squeezing