Pearled Farro with Spinach, Toasted Almonds & Sesame Oil

This is one of those dishes that is the result of having a well stocked pantry!  Searching for a side dish idea to accompany the seared scallops I made earlier this week, I headed towards the grains in my pantry and settled on semi-pearled Italian farro.  Similar to wheat berries in texture, these chewy grains are lovely when used as a side dish, can be cooked for a hearty hot breakfast cereal (just as you would oatmeal), or even tossed into a pot of soup for whole-grain goodness.

I decided to pair the pearled farro with a quick saute of baby spinach, sliced garlic, sliced and toasted almonds for crunch, and for a rich, distinctively toasty flavor, a drizzle of dark sesame oil.  Healthy and flavorful–this side dish would also work well with brown rice, orzo, wild rice, or any ancient grain variety you prefer.

(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)

Pearled Farro with Spinach, Toasted Almonds & Sesame Oil

  • Prep time:
  • Cook time:
  • Total time:
  • Yield: 3-4
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Recipe type: Side dish

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup semi-pearled farro
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • Crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 4 cups baby spinach
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons toasted, sliced almonds
  • 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil

Directions:

  1. Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add in the farro and a pinch of salt. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 18-20 minutes (stirring occasionally) until the water is evaporated and the farro chewy to the tooth.
  2. In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add in the pepper flakes and garlic; cook for 30 seconds. Add in the spinach along with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a grinding of black pepper. Saute for 5 minutes, or unti lthe spinach is wilted.
  3. Serve the warm farro with the cooked spinach/garlic mixture, some toasted sliced almonds, and a drizzle of the sesame oil.

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