Farrotto with Artichokes

From EatingWell: March/April 2009 — Subscribe Now!

Here farro stands in for rice in a risotto-like dish, full of tomatoes, artichokes and fresh basil.

READER'S COMMENT:

"This dish is amazing! A wonderful taste and texture. I added most of the cheese to the dish, rather than holding back 1/2 of it to put on top as a garnish. Very rich and satisfying. Susan, OH "

6 servings, about 1 cup each

Active Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups farro, rinsed (see Tip)
1 leaf fresh sage
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained well
1 10-ounce box frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Pinch of crushed red pepper
1 1/2-2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, vegetable broth or water
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese, divided
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

Preparation

Place farro in a large saucepan and cover with about 2 inches of water. Add sage and rosemary. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the farro is tender but still firm to the bite, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the herbs and drain.
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until soft and beginning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the farro, tomatoes, artichokes, basil, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper.
Add 1/2 cup broth (or water), bring a boil over medium heat and cook, stirring, until most of the broth is absorbed. Repeat with the remaining broth (or water), adding it in 1/2-cup increments and stirring until it’s absorbed, until the farro is creamy but still has a bit of bite, about 10 minutes total. Stir in 1/4 cup cheese and lemon zest. Serve sprinkled with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese.

Tips & Notes

Tip: Farro is a high-fiber whole grain that is an ancestor of modern wheat. It is commonly used in Italian cooking and is becoming more popular in the U.S. Find it in natural-foods stores and amazon.com.

Nutrition

Per serving: 264 calories; 7 g fat (2 g sat, 2 g mono); 9 mg cholesterol; 43 g carbohydrates; 11 g protein; 8 g fiber; 530 mg sodium; 168 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (25% daily value), Folate (19% dv).

2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 2 starch, 2 vegetable, 1 fat