Fennel is very nice in an Italian sausage, and we occasionally have Italian sausages in a lentil and tomato sauce with goodly amounts of garlic and chilli. The lentils must be green Italian ones, or at least Puy lentils, failing that. But fennel can be a bit of a hooligan if overdone, a bit like rosemary. I dislike fennel seeds and never include them in recipes that supposedly call for them. Our holidays in Italy have taught us that herbs should never be the point of a dish (one reason I eschew all dried herbs, oregano aside, which are all far too pungent). Herbs can enhance a dish without that dish tasting of the herbs. It's a hard balance to achieve but it's well worth the effort. We spent a week in Puglia, seeking out the best local grub we could find, and not once did herbs slap us in the face.

Mind you, my Mediterranean roast potatoes, with lashings of garlic and rosemary, never fail to please...