Even though I love risotto, I don't cook it very often. It's not that I find it complicated or that it doesn't turn out well when I make it, it's just that I'm lazy and easily distracted. Standing over a Dutch oven full of rice and broth for 40 minutes seems like some kind of cruel punishment from a fairy tale. Like, I'm sure Cinderella's evil step-sisters made her prepare them risotto for dinner every night.
Despite my aversion to making risotto, when I saw a recipe for farro risotto in Cooking Light, my interest was piqued. I'm on a bit of grain kick and farro is one of the few that I haven't tried. I also (mistakenly!) thought that maybe I could spend a little bit less time babysitting farro risotto. But you know what? It was totally worth the time and effort. Farro risotto is good. Dare I say better than risotto risotto? Yes, I dare!
Farro is chewy and nutty and much more filling then Arborio rice, yet it still has that risotto creaminess that I love. I tweaked the original recipe a little by adding roasted asparagus, more onion, and wild mushrooms. I also used no-beef broth since we had that on hand, although there's probably only a slight difference in flavor if you use the original recipe's mushroom stock instead.
If you have this for a meal, be prepared to be full afterwards. Pleasantly full, but full nonetheless.
Ingredients
- 1 oz. dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1 lb. asparagus tough ends removed, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tbsp. + 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 5 ½ c. no-beef broth or mushroom stock
- 1 ½ c. uncooked farro
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 4 oz. wild mushroom blend sliced
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
- ¼ c. grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- ¼ c. fresh flat-leaf parsley chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Place dried shiitake mushrooms in a medium bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand 30 minutes or until tender. Drain and coarsely chop.
- Toss asparagus and 2 tsp. of olive oil on a baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes or until tender, stirring halfway through.
- Bring broth to a simmer in a small saucepan. Keep stock warm over low heat.
- Heat remaining olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add farro and onion; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly. Add shiitake mushrooms and wild mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes or until wild mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally. Add wine and thyme; cook until liquid almost evaporates.
- Add ½ cup of broth to farro mixture; cook over medium heat 4 minutes or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring occasionally. Add remaining 5 cups of broth ½ cup at a time, stirring occasionally until stock is absorbed before adding the next. (This takes about 40 minutes. Yes really.)
- When adding the last ½ cup of broth, stir in cheese as well. When broth is absorbed completely, stir in parsley, roasted asparagus, salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
This sounds so good! You're going to bankrupt me with your fancy ingredients though!
omg this looks SO good right now!
Looks delicious! Farro and mushrooms are such a nice combination!
Yum! I'd love to try this one with shitake mushrooms, only because I'm obsessed with them.
I just finished eating my Big Mac and now I feel extra guilty.
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Goodness I'm obsessed with farro. This looks like the perfect way to enjoy asparagus the next time I pick some up from the store
Farro is so good as risotto! Actually, I haven't had it any other way--I should really try doing something else with it. 🙂
Farro is absolutely amazing! My family has been on a farro kick, and we've always been risotto lovers, but I've never thought of farro risotto. Can't wait to make this for my family! So glad I discovered your site, I absolutely love it!
We love farro too--just need to find some more ways to use it! But it's so hearty and filling, much more than rice.