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.
Recipe information
Total Time
1 hour 15 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
⅓
8
1
1
1
1
2
4
2
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Step 1
Heat ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium-high. Add 8 oz. mushrooms (such as crimini or white button), sliced, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, 8–10 minutes. (Mushrooms will steam at first, but then start to brown and crisp.) Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Step 2
Reduce heat to medium. Add 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped, 1 Tbsp. finely chopped rosemary, and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (if using). Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is golden and softened, 8–10 minutes.
Step 3
Mix in 1 medium sweet potato, peeled, cut into ½" pieces, 2 cups pearled or semi-pearled farro, rinsed, and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt; season with more black pepper. Pour in 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth and 2 cups water and bring to a simmer. Partially cover and cook, stirring occasionally, adding more liquid (up to 1 cup) if needed and reducing heat if farro starts to stick, until farro is cooked through and mixture is the consistency of a loose porridge, 40–50 minutes. Taste farrotto and season with more salt and black pepper if needed.
Step 4
Remove farrotto from heat and stir in 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter if desired. Divide among bowls and top with finely grated Parmesan if desired.