Farro With Blistered Tomatoes, Pesto and Spinach

By Yasmin Fahr

Updated February 15, 2024

  • A blue ceramic pan holds farro, blistered cherry tomates and red onions, wilted spinach and dollops of mozzarella and pesto.
    Julia Gartland for The New York Times (Photography and Styling)
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
40 minutes
Rating
5(8,261)
Comments
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Here is an Italian-inspired recipe that uses store-bought or homemade pesto to season farro, which is then tossed with fresh spinach, roasted tomatoes, red onions and mozzarella for a complete vegetarian meal. Make it with fresh-from-the-market cherry tomatoes when they’re in season, but during the rest of the year, use grape tomatoes, as they tend to be more flavorful than cherry during the colder months. If you’d like, substitute arugula, or cooked broccoli rabe or kale, for the spinach. It tastes delicious warm or cold the next day — and topping it with shrimp, chicken or scallops can make it feel new again. Before reheating, add a bit more spinach, drizzle it with a little olive oil and give it a good stir.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • Salt and black pepper

  • 1 cup farro, rinsed

  • 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes

  • 1 small red onion, peeled, quartered and cut into 1-inch wedges

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the farro

  • ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes

  • ¼ cup store-bought or homemade pesto, plus more to taste

  • Zest and juice of 1 lemon

  • 2 packed cups baby spinach

  • 1 (4-ounce) ball fresh mozzarella, torn into chunks, or ½ cup ricotta salata, crumbled (optional)

  • ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley or basil leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

44 grams carbs; 24 milligrams cholesterol; 398 calories; 7 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 20 grams fat; 8 grams fiber; 742 milligrams sodium; 16 grams protein; 9 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large covered pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the farro and adjust the heat to maintain a medium boil. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom, until tender and not too chewy, about 30 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, on a sheet pan, combine the tomatoes and onion wedges with the oil, making sure everything is well coated and glistening, then season with salt, pepper and the red-pepper flakes. Roast until the tomatoes blister and slightly deflate, 25 to 30 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    When the farro is done, drain, then pour into a serving bowl or back into the pot. Toss with some olive oil, then mix in the pesto. Add the lemon zest and juice, then stir in the spinach. Set aside to cool slightly.

  4. Step 4

    Scrape the onions, tomatoes and their juices into the farro; season with salt and pepper as needed. Add the cheese, if using, then garnish with herbs and serve.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
8,261 user ratings
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Comments

Amber

This works *much better* if the farro is cooked in a pot of water like noodles, not simmered like rice. Cooking in more water lets you get it to the right grainy taste and chewiness without gunking it up. Simmering it until the water boils off results in a pasty texture.

ann

Never used farro before, and this was a great introduction! I found 10-minute farro at Trader Joe’s and it cut down the overall cooking time. Made exactly to recipe, and I added a splash of balsamic vinegar at the end because the mozzarella, basil & tomatoes were practically begging for it. Will be adding to my rotation.

Kate B

This is so delicious! A couple of notes: -Don't bring a whole pot of water to boil for the farro. If you're making 1 cup, like the recipe calls for, just bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Then, when the water cooks off, the farro will be done. -I added a bulb of fennel to the sheet pan of tomatoes and onions and it was delicious!

char

what a wonderful meal to eat outside on a summer evening. I made it with arugula (because arugula is wonderful) and millet to make it gluten free, which was a fine substitute. extra pesto, bit easy on the lemon juice. delightful

John G

Absolutely wonderful one dish meal served with sautéed scallops on top, also with fire-roasted corn kernels mixed in. Excellent recipe, thank you!!!

Molly

I followed the recipe exactly. This was outstanding. Very lemony and bright tasting with the fresh herbs. Not too garlicy tasting despite the generous dollop of pesto of It can be served warm or at room temperature. A good main course or I think it would be delicious with lamb chops. You can roast the vegetables ahead of time, and throw things together before serving.

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