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Farrotto
Farrotto: Tuscan and Umbrian farro cooked slowly like risotto, finished with pecorino
In the hills of the Garfagnana and around Spoleto, where farro has been grown since Roman times, cooks make farrotto in autumn and winter as a heartier cousin of risotto. Semi-pearled farro is toasted in olive oil with onion and celery, then cooked slowly with hot vegetable stock, ladle by ladle, until the grains are tender but still bouncy and wrapped in a light, creamy sauce. Finish with pecorino and serve as a main with a green salad. The usual mistake is stirring as constantly as for risotto; farro releases less starch, so stir every few minutes and beat in the cheese at the end for creaminess. Chef's tip: toast the dry grains until they smell like popcorn before adding any liquid; it deepens the nutty flavour.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 1 celery stickfinely chopped
- 1 carrotfinely chopped
- 11 ½ oz semi-pearled farro (emmer)rinsed
- 5 cups hot vegetable stock
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- ⅔ oz butter
- 2 ⅞ oz pecorino toscanograted; traditionally made with animal rennet, so choose a vegetarian hard cheese for a vegetarian dish
- ¼ tsp black pepper
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a heavy pot over a medium heat. Cook 1 onion, 1 celery stick and 1 carrot for 7 minutes until soft and sweet but not brown.
7 minStep 2: Add 11 ½ oz semi-pearled farro (emmer) and 1 sprig fresh rosemary and toast for 3 minutes, stirring, until the grains crackle and smell nutty.
3 minStep 3: Add 2 ladles of 5 cups hot vegetable stock and simmer, stirring every few minutes. Each time the pot looks almost dry, add another ladle.
15 minStep 4: Keep going for 30–35 minutes in all, until the farro is tender with a slight chew and the liquid is a creamy glaze; you may not need all the stock.
20 minStep 5: Take off the heat, remove the rosemary and beat in ⅔ oz butter, 2 ⅞ oz pecorino toscano and ¼ tsp black pepper for 1 minute until glossy. Rest 2 minutes and serve.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbs
- 64 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does farrotto take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of celery stick?
- Fennel, same weight.
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