This is an incredibly easy little recipe that comes together in just over 30 minutes, and it’s become one of my weeknight staples. It has only a few ingredients, and the mostly hands-off cooking allows you to clean up completely or prep another meal while your dinner cooks (this Monday I made a batch of muffins in just the time it took this to cook).
Link: One Pot Farro with Tomatoes
Farro is a variety of wheat that until recently was eaten mostly in the Mediterranean. It’s gained traction as a trendy “ancient grain” recently, and is showing up on lots of menus in salads, grain bowls, and prepared like risotto. It has a pleasantly chewy texture and a slightly nutty flavor that almost allow you to forget that it’s also crazy healthy.
If this recipe feels a little skimpy for a whole meal, try adding a drained can of cannellini beans for a creamy complement that picks up the tomato and garlic flavors really nicely. You may need to add another splash of water or white wine along with your beans to keep the liquid balanced. (And if you live with someone who has to have meat, I recommend some spicy chicken sausage, diced and browned quickly in the oven and served on top of the finished dish).
Grocery shopping notes: My favorite tomatoes to use here are the Trader Joe’s 16 oz. pack of mixed “heirloom” tomatoes, which are about as good as tomatoes get in April. (The recipe calls for only 12 oz., but I usually throw in the whole package. They cook down into a sauce and it hardly hurts to have more.) I like Bob’s Red Mill Farro — it comes out al dente, not mushy like some of the par cooked ones I have tried. Any will work, but see Smitten Kitchen’s note about whole vs. pearled vs. semi-pearled farro. Enjoy!
A Peck of Dirt 