Monday, April 6: Farro Risotto with Zucchini

Farro risottoooo…ish! My favorite grain + shredded zucchini, cooked in lots of olive oil, butter, garlic, wine, chicken broth, and thyme, finished with a few handfuls of spinach, splash of cream, shower of parm, and plenty of lemon! So so so good. On the side: roasted carrots tossed with leftover homemade arugula pesto and torn fresh mozzarella. Perfect spring dinner!

Note: I’ve made this both with quick-cooking 10-minute farro and more traditional 30-minute farro. Both are delicious and work well, but the timing will (obviously) be different, as will the amount of liquid you’ll need. When I made it with 10-minute farro, I cooked the grains for about 15 minutes and needed 3 cups of liquid. When I made it with 30-minute farro, I cooked the grains for 30-40 minutes and needed 4+ cups of liquid. Just keep testing the farro for tenderness (some people might like it more chewy, others more soft — go by preference), add more liquid 1/2 cup at a time when needed (switching to water if you run out of chicken broth), and it will turn out wonderfully.

Start by melting 1-2 TB butter in 2 TB olive oil in a large high-sided skillet or saute pan. Add 4 cloves of sliced garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes; cook over medium low for a few minutes until starting to sizzle. Increase heat to medium and add 1.25-1.5 cups (8-9 ounces) dry farro, stirring to coat in oil and cooking for a few minutes until slightly toasted. Add about 1/2 cup white wine (I used rose once; you can also skip this step) and stir until mostly absorbed. Add 3 small zucchini (shredded on the large holes of a box grater), the zest of one lemon, 1-2 tsp dried thyme, and a large pinch of salt. Stir and let cook a few minutes — it will smell DIVINE.

Add 2 cups of chicken broth, reserving another 1-2 cups to add later as needed (you can always use water instead of broth, just make sure to season with extra salt). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low to maintain a simmer; simmer 10-40 minutes (depending on the type of farro you use; see note above), or until mostly tender, stirring occasionally. If starting to dry out, add extra broth or water 1/2 cup at a time (I ended up using an extra cup with the 10-minute farro and 2+ extra cups with the 30-minute farro). You want it fairly saucy and loose since you’ll be adding spinach and cheese later, and the farro will continue to absorb some liquid as it sits.

When farro is just about tender (but still has some delicious chew!), add a few handfuls of baby spinach (or 1 small bunch Tuscan kale cut into thin ribbons) and a pinch of salt, stirring to wilt. When farro is cooked to your liking, add 1/4 cup cream (this is optional — I just had cream leftover from making whipped cream yesterday that I wanted to use up; you can also use whole milk, marscapone, or just leave out), and 1/2 cup grated parm. Stir to combine until very creamy. Finally, add the juice of one lemon (start with 1/2 lemon and go from there). Taste and adjust with more salt, lemon, or parm. I’ve also added cubed up fresh mozzarella, which I stirred in off heat until starting to melt (see here for this version).