Asparagus Farrotto

Risotto is a labor intensive meal that while delicious can provide little nutritional value. On the other hand, Farro is a dense ancient grain that can “taste too healthy” as I’ve been told. So why not blend the two? Farrotto is an easy way to get the rich flavors of risotto with the added nutrition of Farro. Make with or without the green sauce for a creamy Farrotto at home!

Makes: 6 servings Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

·       2 cups of Farro

·        4 cups of stock (I like bone broth, but any type of chicken or vegetable broth works)

·       1 bunch of Asparagus (chopped into small pieces)

·        2 shallots

·        3 Cloves of garlic

·        Handful of grated Parmesan

·        1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil

·        Black Pepper and Salt to taste

*Sauce Ingredients (Optional)

·        2 handfuls of Italian Parsley

·        1/2 cup of Basil

·        1 handful of Oregano leaves

·        1-2 Lemons (juiced)

·        About 1/2 cup of olive oil

Recipe

1. In a pot, bring 4 cups of stock (or water) and 2 cups of Farro to a boil. Once boiling reduce to a simmer and allow to cook. This is the longest part of this recipe

2. In a separate pan, saute shallots in a small amount of olive oil on medium heat.

3. Once shallots are soft, add chopped asparagus. Cook for about 5 minutes, you want the asparagus to remain bright green and maintain their crunch. Season with black pepper and salt to taste

4. Once Farro is almost cooked (Farro should maintain its integrity but be soft and not chewy), add sauce* (recipe below) and allow Farro to absorb flavor. Once sauce is cooked in or if not using sauce, add in asparagus and shallots to Farro and stir until combined.

5. Add a handful of grated Parmesan and stir well until melted throughout.

6. Serve and Enjoy hot or store in the refrigerator to eat throughout the week!

**Sauce Recipe

1. In a blender add Parsley, Basil, and Oregano. Add Olive oil in small amounts as you blend. You want it to be thinner than a paste, but do not want to make the dish too oily, so be judicious as you add in oil!

2. Once you have achieved a loose paste, add lemon juice to mixture and blend.

3. Add to Farro as described above.

Tips:

• Chop asparagus into small bite size pieces before cooking, you want them to be small and well distributed in the dish.

• Stores well in the fridge! I like to meal prep this for the week and bring a portion for lunch.

• The sauce adds a a nice Italian flavor to the dish, however you still get that creamy texture and richness without it! Leaving the sauce out keeps this dish simple and easy to make without a fuss.