Emmer wheat, called farro in Italian, is a nutritious grain with a distinctive nutty flavor and chewy texture. Farro is low in fat, high in protein and rich in magnesium and B-vitamins. This dish was the result of rummaging through the pantry and the refrigerator to come up with a quick one dish meal. We enjoyed it for dinner. The next day I added lemon juice, red wine vinegar and a bit more olive oil and turned it into a salad for lunch.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups farro (it says pre-cooked on the label or cooks in 10 minutes)
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup asparagus
- 1/2 cup carrots
- 2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped
- 3 tablespoons Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
To make the Salad:
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (medium)
- Sea salt and a few grinds of pepper
- 4 cups of cooked farro and vegetables
- In a large saucepan, add the farro and broth, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cut the cherry tomatoes in half, the asparagus in 1-inch pieces and dice the carrots.
- Add the vegetables to the farro (after it has cooked for the 10 minutes) and cook until the tomatoes have softened and the carrots and asparagus are tender (about 3-5 minutes). Stir in the olive oil and the parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Dinner is ready! Refrigerate leftovers.
- When you are ready to make the salad, bring the farro and vegetables to room temperature. Stir in the lemon juice, red wine vinegar and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. I had lemon pepper in the pepper mill, so that’s what I used. You can use fresh ground black pepper and a bit of lemon zest.
