One-pot farro with tomatoes
I think everyone has a go-to food blog, and mine is unabashedly Smitten Kitchen. I have never made one of Deb's recipes and not loved it. In pursuing my own blog, it was and is one of my goals to always be authentic in every way, and part of that is to only post those recipes I really and truly feel 100% about. I like to follow recipes that are delicious and that are worth it—worth the money, the effort, the time. And being able to serve those dishes to other people is the best part. That's what I want to share with readers, and that's why I love Smitten Kitchen.
Unsurprisingly, this is a dish from Smitten Kitchen. And just like she said, this is now a literal staple in my life. I have made it for lunch countless times, and I am still looking to serve it for an easy and warming dinner in the winter. And for its incredible depth of flavor, it has very few ingredients—and they're healthy ingredients, at that. I love, love, love it.
One-pot farro with tomatoes
Mostly unchanged from Smitten Kitchen
Yields about 2 large main portions or 4-6 side portions
2 cups water
1 cup semi-pearled farro (this is the common size sold in grocery stores)
½ large onion (I usually use a sweet one, for mildness)
2 cloves garlic
9 oz grape or cherry tomatoes
1¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
1 T olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
A few fresh basil leaves, cut into thin ribbons (chiffonade)
Freshly grated parmesan cheese for serving
Place water and farro in a medium saucepan to presoak (5 to 10 minutes is sufficient) while you prepare the other ingredients. Cut onion half in half again, thinly slice it into quarter-moons, and add to the pot. Mince garlic cloves and add them to the pot. Halve the tomatoes, and throw them in the pot. Add salt, pepper flakes, and 1 tablespoon olive oil to pot, and turn burner on high to bring to a boil. This will need to cook for just about 30 minutes total, so set a timer. Once it's boiling, reduce temperate to low so that it's just simmering. Stir the pot occasionally as it simmers. After 30 minutes, the farro should be perfectly cooked, tender but with a great chewiness.
Serve warm right away, or refrigerate to be reheated for lunch tomorrow. Either way, when serving, drizzle farro lightly with additional olive oil, and sprinkle with basil and parmesan.