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Farro Recipe (with Tomatoes, Basil and Parmesan)

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Try this farro recipe paired with onions, garlic, tomatoes, basil, and parmesan. It’s a heavenly side dish, made in one pan!

farro in a basil parmesan sauce

What is Farro?

Farro is a new-to-me grain. Much like quinoa, it really didn’t hit my radar until fairly recently. I’d heard of it, but wasn’t entirely sure how to cook with it. I’d describe it as a chewy brown rice type consistency, with a nutty flavor – perfect for blending with some quality ingredients.

Types of Farro

There are a few types of farro (pearled/perlato, semi-pearled/semi-perlato, whole/unpearled). Pearling basically describes how much of the exterior bran is removed, and will determine cooking time. Pearled will take about 15-20 minutes, semi pearled 25-30 and whole/unpearled up to 80 minutes! In this recipe, I used pearled, and the cook time reflects that.

What to serve with Farro?

I made this as a side for some grilled pork chops, and usually… there’s leftovers of sides, and no pork chops.

When I put this on the table though, there were leftover pork chops, and there was NO farro. I call that a win. Combining tomatoes, basil and parmesan was ALWAYS going to be a winner – but I had no idea how much! Give this a try and let me know what you think!

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5 from 4 votes
farro in a basil parmesan sauce

Farro with Tomatoes (and Basil and Parmesan)

Nutty farro paired with onions, garlic, tomatoes, basil and parmesan. It’s a heavenly side dish, made in one pan!

Suggested Equipment

Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total : 25 minutes
yield: 4

Ingredients

  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup pearled farro
  • 1 medium onion cut in half and thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
  • 1.5 cups cherry tomatoes halved, basically the whole clamshell/punnet
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 Tbs olive oil
  • 5-6 fresh basil leaves large, cut into thin ribbons

For Serving

  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese shredded 

Instructions

  • Add the water and farro to a small saucepan, and let it sit while you cut the onions, garlic and tomatoes.
  • Add the sliced onion, sliced garlic and halved tomatoes to the saucepan, along with the salt and olive oil.
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally for around 15-20 minutes.
  • The farro is cooked when the liquid is almost all absorbed, and the farro is tender (will have a chewy bite to it but will not be hard)
  • Transfer to a serving dish,
  • Garnish with with the basil and parmesan.
  • Devour

nutrition facts

Calories: 279kcal (14%) Carbohydrates: 45g (15%) Protein: 10g (20%) Fat: 7g (11%) Saturated Fat: 3g (19%) Cholesterol: 9mg (3%) Sodium: 800mg (35%) Potassium: 313mg (9%) Fiber: 9g (38%) Sugar: 3g (3%) Vitamin A: 395IU (8%) Vitamin C: 15.3mg (19%) Calcium: 181mg (18%) Iron: 1.8mg (10%)
Nutritional Disclaimer

Recipes written and produced on Kylee Cooks are for informational purposes only. Kylee is not a certified nutritionist. Nutritional data provided on Kylee Cooks has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration.

Author: Kylee Cooks
Course:Side
Cuisine:American
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About Kylee

I am a born and raised New Zealander (a Kiwi), now living in Phoenix, Arizona. I’m happily married to the love of my life – a hot American boy I met while traveling the world. I’m a mama to 2 awesome little boys and love red things, rugby, cheesecake, and bacon. Mmmmm. Bacon. Read More

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Comments

  3. Janice @Kitchen Heals Soul says

    Love farro and I’m always looking for new ways of using it. This tomato base sounds great for farro 🙂

    Reply

  7. Ali @ Home & Plate says

    What a great alternative to other types of grains. This side dish looks delicious and I can imagine full of flavor from the fresh tomatoes. Delicious!

    Reply

  8. Kathi @ Laughing Spatula says

    I do believe Farro will be the new Quinoa this year! I didn’t realized it came pearled and semi pearled…great info and beautiful pics!

    Reply

  9. Sam | Ahead of Thyme says

    This is making my mouth water!! How am I hungry when I JUST had breakfast lol!! Thanks for sharing 🙂

    Reply

  10. Raia says

    I’ve never made farro before. Sounds easy and yummy! And anything with parmesan on top s always a winner. 😉

    Reply