Farro With Spring Vegetables
This flavorful farro risotto is a celebration of springtime with tender asparagus, sweet peas, and fragrant leeks. Slow-cooked to creamy perfection, each bite is a delightful blend of savory pancetta, nutty farro, and the bright freshness of lemon zest and parsley. Finish it off with a generous shaving of Parmigiano-Reggiano for a touch of richness, making it a comforting and satisfying meal for any day of the week.
— Constant Cookbook
Ingredients
- 3 Tbs. olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
- 1 oz. pancetta, finely chopped (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups farro, rinsed
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1/4 tsp. salt, plus more, to taste
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 bunch asparagus, about 1 lb.
- 1 Tbs. unsalted butter
- 2 leeks, white and light green portions, rinsed well and cut into matchsticks
- 2 cups fresh or thawed frozen English peas
- Grated zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 3-oz. piece Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Instructions
- In a large, heavy fry pan over medium heat, warm 2 Tbs. of the olive oil. Add the onion, celery and pancetta and sauté until the onion is softened and the pancetta has rendered most of its fat, about 5 minutes. Add the farro and stir to coat with the oil. Cook, stirring, until the farro is lightly toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine and stir until it has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup of the stock and stir to scrape up the browned bits from the pan bottom.
- Transfer the contents of the pan to a slow cooker. Stir in the remaining 3 cups stock, the 1/4 tsp. salt and several grinds of pepper. Cover and cook on low according to the manufacturer’s instructions until the farro is tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
- Meanwhile, trim the tough stem ends from the asparagus and cut the spears into 2-inch lengths. Bring a saucepan three-fourths full of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the asparagus pieces, reserving the tips, and cook for 4 minutes. Add the asparagus tips and cook until all the pieces are crisp-tender, about 2 minutes more. Drain the asparagus and rinse under cold running water until cool. Spread the pieces out on a kitchen towel to dry.
- About 5 minutes before the farro is ready, in a large, heavy fry pan over medium heat, melt the butter with the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil. Add the leeks and sauté for 1 minute. Add the peas and sauté for 1 minute. Add the asparagus and sauté until all the vegetables are just tender and heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice.
- Stir the vegetables into the farro and transfer to a warmed serving bowl. Garnish with the lemon zest and parsley. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the cheese over the top. Serve immediately. Serves 6.
- Adapted from Williams-Sonoma <i>The New Slow Cooker,</i> by Brigit Binns (Weldon Owen, 2010).
Yield
Serves 6.
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