Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
I made this comforting farrotto, a risotto-style porridge with farro instead of rice, about a dozen times in the months after my son was born. Many of those times, I was sure I had done something to mess it up beyond saving. I used water when I was out of vegetable broth; I let the dish simmer a good 20 minutes longer than I’d planned to because the baby was being a baby. Once I burned the onions so badly they turned black—and it still turned out fine. Point is, this recipe is forgiving. The farro is hard to overcook, so it can be made quickly or slowly. Omit the butter and cheese, and it’s vegan. And while I always make it around dinnertime, it’s even better for breakfast the next day—channeling sweet potato hash—with a fried egg on top.