One-pot farro with tomato and onion

Smells like pesto.

Having discovered farro through this salad, I was interested in trying it in other recipes. I found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen and it seemed like a good idea, given the explosion of tomatoes and basil in the garden right now.

Given the basil, garlic, olive oil, and parmesan, it tastes like pesto. Like a warm, hearty, bowl of grains with pesto, plus sweetness from the slow-cooked onion and tomato.

This might be a summer-only recipe, since I think it really needs fresh tomato and basil. But I will be making this regularly until tomato season is over, and I'll look forward to bringing it out again next summer.

My only changes are using black pepper instead of red pepper flakes (because I like it better) and slightly reducing the amount of water, since I had a lot of cooking liquid left at the end when I made it with the original proportions.

One of the comments that I read in the Smitten Kitchen review section for this recipe put forth the idea to have the leftovers for breakfast with a fried egg on top. I will have to try that.

The Recipe (taken from Smitten Kitchen):

2 cups semi-pearled farro

3.5 cups water

1 large onion, sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

3-5 tomatoes, depending on size, cut into chunks

2 1/2 tsp kosher salt

black pepper to taste

2 tb olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

basil, cut into ribbons

parmesan, shredded

Rinse farro. Combine it with water in large pan and leave to soak 5-10 minutes while prepping other ingredients.
Add onion, garlic, tomatoes, salt, pepper, and 2 tb olive oil. Mix to combine.
Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
Scoop out with slotted spoon to remove extra cooking liquid. Top with a drizzle of olive oil, basil, and parmesan.

The Verdict:

Overall grade: A-

Overall reason: Delicious and healthy way to use fresh tomatoes.

Time to prepare: 10 minutes of work, then 30 minutes of cooking

Husband quote: "Tastes fresh."

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