Description[]
I ran across this recipe on The Kitchn (here) and completely fell in love with this warm, gooey veg-tastic alternative to a boring rice pilaf. This dish comes together quickly and pairs nicely with lean meats for dinner or stands alone for a filling lunch. I've made some changes to the original.
Ingredients[]
- 2 medium carrots, cut into 1/4 inch chunks
- 1 cup of grape tomatoes
- 6 - 8 cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed and quartered
- 2 - 4 cloves of garlic, roughly minced (to taste)
- 1 small or half a medium red onion, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 or all of a small head of radicchio, cored and sliced into 1/2 to 1 inch chunks
- 1 cup of farro
- 3 - 4 ounces of good fontina cheese, cut into small cubes
- chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)
- Olive oil (for coating the vegetables)
Instructions[]
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Prep all the vegetables. Take the carrots, tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic and onion and put them into a large bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil (just enough to lubricate everything) and stir gently to coat (I use my hands). Transfer to a large baking sheet lined with foil or parchment and spread around into a single layer. If the vegetables are too close together, it will steam, not roast, so in this case two pans are better than one if you need more room. Roast for 15 minutes stirring once halfway through. Use the same bowl to lightly coat the radicchio in olive oil, add it to the rest of the vegetables and roast for another 10 minutes.
While the vegetables are roasting, rinse and drain the farro. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and add a tablespoon or so of salt and stir in the farro. Cook for 12 - 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the farro grains are soft but still chewy in the center. Drain and dump the warm grains into your serving bowl, Add the vegetables and the cheese cubes, mixing gently as you go. Top with a little parsley for flair and color. The original recipe calls for a quick oil/balsamic/salt/pepper dressing to go over the final dish but I've skipped this step every time and no one has complained. Nom while warm.