Farro Risotto with Mushrooms
Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Tiffany Vickers
Farro, an ancient Italian wheat grain, adds a pleasant chewiness to this earthy dish. If you can't find it, substitute pearl barley or Arborio rice.
How to Make It
Step 1
Place dried mushrooms in a medium bowl; cover with boiling water. Let stand 30 minutes or until tender; drain. Coarsely chop mushrooms.
Step 2
Bring Mushroom Stock to a simmer in a small saucepan (do not boil). Keep stock warm over low heat.
Step 3
Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add farro and onion; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add rehydrated mushrooms, cremini mushrooms, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; sauté 5 minutes or until cremini mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally. Add wine and thyme; cook until liquid almost evaporates.
Step 4
Add 1/2 cup stock to farro mixture; cook over medium heat 4 minutes or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring occasionally. Add 4 1/2 cups stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring occasionally until each portion of stock is absorbed before adding the next (about 40 minutes total).
Step 5
Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup stock, cheese, parsley, and pepper; stir until cheese melts.
Step 6
Wine note: I like the thought of serving a sparkling wine with Farro Risotto with Mushrooms--the bubbles match the texture of the grain. Prosecco has become a popular aperitif, but this Soligo Prosecco ($12) is fuller bodied than most, so it stands up well to food. With its vibrant stone fruit flavors, it contrasts pleasantly with the earthy character of the mushrooms that dominate this dish. --Gary Vaynerchuck
patricis's Review
OMG this was the best farro dish I have made in a long time. I followed the recipe, except I used lemon juice instead of wine and cut back on the cheese. I also used chicken stock and not mushroom stock. Came out perfect! Not to rich tasting and not bland! The farro was completely cooked in 40 minutes.
jaleellama's Review
N/A
shera1381's Review
My farro took less than 40 minutes to come to a nice creaminess, much like arborio rice in traditional risotto, so I'm not sure of the issues the previous reviewer had, or why it behaved in that manner. I used Farro Perlato by La Valletta. This dish has a great earthy/ nutty flavor, and beautiful creamy texture. I made this as a main dish, but I could see using it as side dish during holiday time too. I also added a bit of rosemary, along with the thyme and it was yum!
jessicagrimm's Review
This dish is delicious! It definitely involves some time management but my farro softened in the 40 minutes allotted in the recipe. I used Earthly Delights Organic Italian Pearled Farro that I found at my local grocery store in the rice section. The flavors were super earthy and the dish had an amazing texture - not too creamy and not dry at all. Added plus - it makes your house smell amazing too
emilymoss's Review
This recipe is good in concept, but lacking in execution. Farro needs MUCH more time to cook than this recipe indicates. It says the farro will take 40 minutes to cook-- it took us 90 minutes and it was a barely edible "al dente." We ended up eating it anyway because we were starving and didn't want to wait any longer. If we had let it cook fully, it might still have needed some kind of creaminess (maybe butter or half and half), depending on how much of the starch from the farro was released. The flavors were good-- especially all of the mushrooms. If we make again, we will boil the farro ahead of time for an hour or two, as is usually the case in other recipes with this grain.
Very Good