One-Pan Farro with Tomatoes
Delicious and incredibly easy. Worthy of company. Serves: 4 as a side, 2 as a hearty main. I would double it!
Delicious and incredibly easy. Worthy of company. Serves: 4 as a side, 2 as a hearty main. I would double it!
- 2 cups water
- 2 cloves garlic
- grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup (updated) semi-pearled farro (i used trader joe's 10 minute farro)
- 1/2 large onion (i usually use a white one, for mildness)
- 9 ounces grape or cherry tomatoes
- 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher or coarse sea salt
- up to 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil plus extra for drizzling
- few basil leaves
- Carbohydrate 2.25772291664975 g
- Cholesterol 0.2291666663 mg
- Fat 0.94450520857596 g
- Fiber 0.350250007510185 g
- Protein 0.40180624983975 g
- Saturated Fat 0.170769687477875 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Side Serving (140g)
- Sodium 9.7436458309767 mg
- Sugar 1.90747290913956 g
- Trans Fat 0.0349496875024611 g
- Calories 18 calories
Step-by-step
- Place water and farro in a medium saucepan to presoak (I find just 5 to 10 minutes sufficient) while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Adding each ingredient to the pot as you finish preparing it, cut onion in half again, and very thinly slice it into quarter-moons.
- Thinly slice garlic cloves as well.
- Halve or quarter tomatoes.
- Add salt, pepper flakes (to taste) and 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan, and set a timer for 30 minutes.
- Bring uncovered pan (no lid necessary) up to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally.
- When the timer rings, the farro should be perfectly cooked (tender but with a meaty chew), seasoned and the cooking water should be almost completely absorbed.
- If needed, though I’ve never found it necessary, cook it for 5 additional minutes, until farro is more tender.
- Transfer to a wide serving bowl.
- If there’s enough leftover cooking liquid to be bothersome, simply use a slotted spoon to leave the amount you wish to behind.
- Drizzle farro lightly with additional olive oil, scatter with basil and parmesan.
- Eat immediately.
- Repeat tomorrow.
Swapping semi-pearled farro for whole-grain farro changes the process entirely, demanding double the liquid and nearly an hour of simmering. Grains cooked directly in an un-lidded saucepan absorb aromatics and tomato juices efficiently as the liquid reduces. Thinly slicing the onion into quarter-moons ensures it softens completely within the thirty-minute window without requiring a separate sautéing phase.
Maximizing Leftovers and Scaling
Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, cooked farro maintains its structural integrity for up to four days. Reheating this dish requires a splash of water to reactivate the starches, restoring the original creamy texture on day two. Doubling the batch requires a wide, heavy-bottomed medium saucepan to maintain proper evaporation rates across the increased volume.
- If the grain remains too firm when the timer expires, add two tablespoons of water and simmer for five additional minutes.
- Drain excess liquid using a slotted spoon if the starch appears overly wet before the final olive oil drizzle.
- Stir the uncovered pan occasionally to prevent the starches from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan.
