I will happily eat the same thing for days on end. In fact, that’s exactly what I did this past week. And it’s all because I made a party-size portion of baked farro with broccolini and white beans on Monday for two.
I had every intention of bringing this dish to a family dinner on Sunday but had a change of plans when I realized it would take much longer than expected to prepare. Part of me wanted to rush the process (and skip the lengthy refrigeration step), but I ultimately decided to cook it the next day.
And so it was up to Jason and me to finish the baked farro ourselves. Thankfully, we both loved the mixture of nutty grains, bitter broccolini, creamy white beans and sweet sun-dried tomatoes.
If you’re looking for a new make-ahead meal to try, give this baked farro a go. It’s healthy, hearty and keeps well for days.
Recipe adapted from The Make-Ahead Cook.
- 1 pound broccolini, cut into 2" pieces
- 1 tablespoon + ½ teaspoon sea salt, divided, plus more, to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ teaspoon dried chili flakes
- 1½ cups farro
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 15 oz. can Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, removed from oil (reserve oil) and diced
- Prepare a medium bowl of ice water and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add broccolini and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, uncovered, for 2 minutes. Transfer broccolini to the prepared ice bath to cool. Drain broccolini, transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.
- Heat olive oil in a large fry pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5-7 minutes.
- Add garlic and chili flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add farro and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
- Transfer farro mixture to a 9"x13" baking dish. Add vegetable broth, water and beans and stir to combine. Let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes, and then stir in 1 cup Parmesan cheese.
- Cover dish tightly with foil and refrigerate for at least 8 or up to 24 hours.
- When you are ready to bake the farro, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Bake, covered, for 60-70 minutes or until the farro is tender and the liquid is almost completely absorbed, stirring twice during baking.
- Remove dish from the oven and stir in prepared broccolini and sun-dried tomatoes. Sprinkle on remaining Parmesan cheese and bake, uncovered, until remaining liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
- Remove dish from the oven and let farro cool for 10 minutes. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons reserved sun-dried tomato oil and serve.
