Creamy Tomato Farro – 30-minute meal

Today I am sharing one of my daughter’s favorite recipes – Creamy Tomato Farro. Maybe it’s beasue I’m missing her–we dropped her off at college just over a week ago (and no, I’m not yet okay), Or maybe it’s becasue she’s repeaetedly requested this recipe and neither one of us can believe I haven’t published it yet. She’s lucky enough to have a campus apartment with a FULL kitchen as a first year student!!! This mean, she has lots of cooking and recipe questions.

And I’m here for it!

She’s loved to cook and bake for at least the last ten years. I’m so excited that she now has a kitchen of her very own (with 3 roommates) to experiment in. Cooking can be a great stress-reliever and a fun bonding activity. The other night she and her roommates made gluten free banana muffins. What a fantastic way to get to one another.

But I also remember being a novice cook. I had a million questions. And most new recipes started with a phone call to my mom. “Do you peel the potatoes before or after you cook them?” “Can I use white wine (instead of white zinfindel) to cook the chicken?” “How do you know when a cheeseake is done?”

Luckily, technology has made it way easier to get all the recipe-related answers we need. (Not that I ever mind fielding a phone call.) So, I thought why not use the blog to help not just my daughter, but college kids everywhere,

Over the next few months, I’ll be sharing a number of quick, basic, recipes that are easy to cook in a simple kitchen. But that are way more interesting than pasta with jarred sauce. Like this Creamy Tomato Farro. (If you are going to use jarred sauce I highly reccommedn Rao’s–I know it’s pricy, but Walmart usually has the best deals–or Trader Joes tomato and basil sauce, if you’ve got a store nearby.

Why You’ll Love It:

Creamy tomato farro is as easy to make as traditional pasta. You simply boil the farro in a pot of water.

The sauce is rich, creamy, and delicious. But it’s made with simple pantry ingredients–diced tomatoes, cream cheese, parmesan cheese, garlic, and Italian seasoning. It only takes about twenty minutes to cook and doesn’t require any complicated cooking tecniques. Throw everything into a skillet and cook over medium heat.

The entire recipe comes together in under thirty minutes, which is perfect for busy weeknights–whether you are a college student or not.

Creamy tomato farro is easily customizable. We often sprinkle in some fresh spinach. I love it with reoasted broccoli. Green beans make a great accompaniment. Or forget the side and serve it with a big salad.

This recipe is delicous and filling. It’s a dish that will impress your friends, but doens’t require any extra effort. And leftovers are even better the next day.

What is farro?

In case your wondering . . . farro is an ancient grain. It’s a form of wheat that has its roots in Mesopotamia and is often enjoyed in Meditterranean dishes. Farro has a slightly nutty flavor (but there’s no nuts!!!) and a chewy texture when cooked.

What are the nutritional benefits of farro?

Farro, especially in whole-grain form, is an excellent source of fiber and protein. It is also rich in antioxidants, as well as iron, magnesium and zinc.

Is farro gluten-free?

No. Farro is a form of wheat and therefore it is NOT gluten free. Gluten free substitutes for farro include quinoa, rice, buckwehat, millet, and sorghum.

Where can I buy farro?

You can purchase farro at larger or upscale grocery stores. You’ll find it in the rice, grain, or pasta section. I typically buy Farro from Trader Joe’s. But it’s also available at Whole Foods, Fresh Market, It’s also available online at a very affordable price.

How do you cook farro?

Farro is easy to cook. Like any whole grain, you can simmer farro in liquid until tender. Many cooks soak farro before cooking and if you purchase whole grain farro you should soak it overnight. Pealized and semi-pearled varieties will benefit from soaking for 30 minutes or more. But many farros available on the market today have been pre-soaked and will cook quikcly in just 10 minutes. (That’s true for both the Trader Joe’s variety and the 365 option I linked above).

You can cook farro in water or broth. Both vegetable and chicken broth infuse the farro with a nice lfavor. Farro can be boiled in a pot of water until tender (about 10 minutes for the brands mentioend above or 15 minutes for soaked farro (30 minutes fo unsoaked) and then drained and served. This is the method I use.

Alternatively, you can cook farro like rice or quinoa in liquid with a ratio of one part farro to three parts liquid.

How do you eat farro?

Farro can be substituted for many pasta dishes and is delicous with a variety of sauces, like in this Creamy Tomato Farro recipe.

Farro is also delcious in a grain salad. It’s chewiness adds texture and substance and holds up in the fridge for several days.

Serve farro makes as a hearty side dish for chicken or beef. Or stir cooked farro into a soup or stew to thicken it up and make it extra filling.

What can I susbstitute for farro?

If you don’t have farro on hand, try barley (it has a similar nutty flavor and chewy texture), brown rice, or quinoa. All of these can eaisly be found in most grocery stores. Just be sure to follow the cooking instructions.

How to Make Creamy Tomato Farro

To make creamy tomato farro, begin by filling a medium saucepan (2-3 quart) with wwater. Bring to a boil. When the water is boiling, add 2 cups of quick-cooking farro and cook on medium-high her for 1-12 minutes, until the farro is tender. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, is a large saucepan (4-5 quart), melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic and saute until fragrant and lightly browned, about 30 seconds. Keep stirring the entir time and be careful not to burn the garlic. If it burns, you need to toss it, clean the pan, and start over.

Then add 2 cans of diced tomatoes. I strongly prefer to use fire-roasted tomatoes in my recipes, The flavor is richer and more complex. You can use the one with garlic, onion and spices for even more flavor. Use a spatula to deglaze the garlic bits from the pan. (Just scrape up the browned bits on the bottom.)

Add 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or 1/2 teaspoon basil and 1/2 teaspoon oregano), 1/4 teaspon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Then stir in 1 can of evaporated milk or 2 cups of milk. I love to use evaporated milk in recipes becasue it is shelf stable. You don’t have to worry about having milk in the fridge. (Maybe that’s just a me a problem.) Also, evapoarted milk gives a richer texture to the sauce like you’d get from half or half or heavy cream, without adding additional calories and fat. It’s also much cheaper than cream.

Bring the sauce to alight boil, and then reduce the heat to medium. Add small chunks of softened cream cheese and simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes, until the cream cheese has melted. I like to take my cream cheese out of the fridge about 2 hours before I need it. Soft cream cheese meltes easier. You can also pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds – just be sure to unwrap it first. I usually cut the cream cheese into 16 pieces. Stir occassionally to help incorporate the cream cheese.

Add 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese and stir until melted.

Add the drained farro to the sauce and stir to combine.

Top with additional parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese and/or fresh basil.

Store leftover creamy tomato farro covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat cramy tomato farro in the microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir. Continue cooking for another minute or until hot..

Enjoy!

There are tons of ways to customize creamy tomato farro. I love to serve it with roasted broccoli or steamed green beans. It’s also fun to mix some fresh spinach into the finished creamy tomato farro. Give it a quick stir until the spinach melts.

This dish, like most Italian recipes, is great served with a piece of crusty bread. You don’t want any of that creamy tomato sauce to go to waste.

I also love, love, love creamy tomato farro for lunch the next day. It makes terrific leftovers–one of my favorite features of a meal!

And if you like easy pasta recipes (with less than pretty pictures) check out my gnocchi with pink sauce recipe. You can never go wrong with gnocchi.

Off we go!

Enjoy!