A minor miracle happened in our house last night. No, it wasn’t the second coming, or the first, depending on where you stand on these matters. Instead, my entire family ate whole wheat fettuccini without uttering a word about its whole “wheatiness.”
This has never happened before, despite the dozens of dinners I have made featuring whole grain pasta in every iteration. They know better than to complain, but at the very least I usually get a suspicious, “is this whole wheat?” out of at least one of them.
Perhaps the months (years?) of whole grain indoctrination is finally paying off. Or perhaps robust tomato sauce with bits of braised pork disguised said whole wheat pasta.
Opting for whole grains instead of processed ones, whether in bread, or oatmeal or rice, is smart from a health standpoint because they have more fiber, which means they digest more slowly so they sustain you longer. They pack in more vitamins and minerals and can help keep cholesterol in check, among other benefits
I got the idea for this dish from my friend Suzanne, who raved about a baked risotto she cooked recently. While the original was made with arborio rice, the fat little Italian variety, I thought I’d use farro instead, a grain that also hails from Italy, but packs in more nutrition.
The asparagus and peas, which are excellent this time of year, go in at the very end and cook until just until tender. Yes, shelling peas takes time, but it’s the perfect sort of chore to pass onto your staff (that’s code for children). Mine don’t seem to mind it. Just be sure the peas make it into the measuring cup, not their wee mouths. Fresh chopped mint and Parmesan finish the dish. If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, the farro is great in a lunch box the next day.
Spring Vegetable Farro Risotto
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 2 strips uncooked bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces (leave out for a vegetarian version)
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 cup semipearled farro (see notes)
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1 cup English peas, fresh or frozen
- 1 bunch asparagus (3/4 of a pound), tough stems snapped off, cut into 1-inch long pieces
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped mint
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
-
Heat the oil in a large pot with an oven-proof lid over medium-high. Add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Turn the heat to medium and add the bacon. Sauté until the onion is translucent and the bacon is cooked (though it won’t be crispy).
-
Add the farro and lemon juice and turn the heat to high. Cook until the farro absorbs the juice. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. As soon as it boils, set the lid on the pot and put it into the oven.
-
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the farro is just tender, with no crunch. Remove from the oven and add the peas and asparagus. If the farro looks dry, add 1/4 cup of water or broth. Give it all a good stir and put it back into the oven for another 7 to 8 minutes until the vegetables are just tender (keeping in mind they will continue to cook a little once out of the oven).
-
Remove from the oven, add mint, salt, and Parmesan. Taste and add freshly ground black pepper along with more salt if needed. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
If using pearled farro (as opposed to semipearled), scale back the broth to 2 1/2 cups and add more as needed. Also, keep any eye on the clock, since pearled farro cooks more quickly than semipearled. If English peas are not in season, use frozen, defrosted peas.
Comments
05.02.2011 at3:35 PM #
Kim
I’m looking forward to trying out this recipe this week. I’m also interested in learning more about the recipe that lead to the “minor miracle” – “robust tomato sauce with bits of braised pork” – sounds fantastic and I too need ways to disguise whole wheat anything. Thanks.
05.02.2011 at3:35 PM #
momskitchenhandbook
Hi Kim, I made a vat of the sauce a few months ago during ski season and stored the leftovers in the freezer. I braised a whole pork shoulder in onions, garlic, canned plum tomatoes, and red wine for the better part of a day. When the pork was very tender, I shredded it and put it back in the sauce. I’ve made a leaner version of this in smaller batches using pork tenderloin. The cooking time is much shorter. As for whole grain pasta, I’ve had the best luck with Barilla Plus multi-grain.
05.02.2011 at6:31 PM #
Cynthia Jones
BTW: I asked Katie where to buy Farro and she suggested markets such as Whole Foods, Mollie Stones, or some of the upscale small markets such as Canyon and Bi-Rite.
CJ
05.02.2011 at11:16 PM #
Pam
I can’t wait to try this! Re where to buy farro, my husband bought a giant bag of it at Costco recently.
05.02.2011 at11:16 PM #
momskitchenhandbook
Thanks for sharing that, Pam.
06.20.2011 at4:20 PM #
Cristina
Rainbow also carries farro
08.04.2011 at7:36 AM #
Allie
Hi Katie, I’m Meagan’s cousin and made my way to your blog through her. The whole site is fabulous, and this recipe in particular caught my eye, as I’ve been wanting to cook a farro dish. Are English peas still in season, or will it be hard to find them fresh at this point? Thanks!
08.04.2011 at7:36 AM #
Katie Morford
Hi Allie
Good question. This was a recipe I did in Spring when both peas and asparagus were at their peek. Asparagus remains available but peas…not so much. You could substitute fresh corn for the peas. Use a serrated edge knife to shear the raw corn from the cob and use as you would the peas. Let me know how it goes!
08.31.2011 at8:18 AM #
Lynda
Thanks for this one Katie – it is terrific! I made it for the first time last night. My almost-11 year old son declared “this is going to be the worst dinner ever” when he saw my ingredients… that changed to “it actually looks pretty good” when he saw it on his plate and finally to “I’ll have more please” and “you should make this again.” 🙂 The whole family gave it the thumbs up. I threw a little corn in with the green veggies. Not sure it would be as tasty without the fresh peas. I am so happy to have “discovered” farro – so flavorful – used it in tabouli last week and loved that too!
08.31.2011 at8:18 AM #
Katie Morford
Thanks for sharing that. I love farro too…and use it in place of other grains all the time…as you did with the tabouli!
04.25.2012 at12:13 PM #
Liz - Meal Makeover Mom
I love how you cook the farro in the oven. I have never tried that technique before but it’s going on my list of must-try recipes… and I plan to pin it too!
04.25.2012 at12:13 PM #
Katie Morford
Thanks Liz. The oven makes it less laborious than a typical risotto, but still results in a creamy texture.
04.09.2013 at7:53 AM #
Alli
I live in a tiny, tiny (did I mention tiny?) town. What can I use instead of farro?
04.09.2013 at7:53 AM #
Katie Morford
Try it with barley…you just may have to adjust the liquid and cooking time.
04.09.2013 at8:15 PM #
Layne
Katie,
I just pulled up this recipe and made it tonight. It was delicious! Thank you! Next time I’ll add more bacon because…in our household, you just can’t have enough bacon. Also, that mint added at the end was a wonderful taste-surprise.
Thanks for everything:)
04.17.2017 at7:28 PM #
Kristen Daniel
I used Trader Joe’s 10 min. barley, cooked it separately and tossed it into the other ingredients at the end. Everyone loved it…super easy and perfect spring meal.
04.17.2017 at7:28 PM #
Katie Morford
A perfect riff based on what you had. That’s what home cooking is all about. Thanks for sharing.