One-Skillet Farro With Fennel, Tomatoes & Parmesan

Author Notes

The inspiration for this hearty, one-skillet farro comes by way of Deb Perelman’s One-Pan Farro with Tomatoes on Smitten Kitchen, whose recipe was inspired by Martha Stewart’s famous One-Pan Pasta. I love the concept so much (cook the farro and sauce together in a single pan) that I couldn’t help myself in creating my own, seasonal riff.

My version keeps the easygoing spirit of both recipes but turns to a skillet versus a saucepan, which provides the perfect opportunity for frying anchovies and toasting the farro in a slick of olive oil to build flavors from the ground-up. From there, I call in sliced fennel and lemon zest (a flavor duo that works so well with earthy farro), as well as cherry tomatoes, garlic, vegetable stock, and chile flakes, before simmering away on the stove. Be sure to reach for a fennel bulb with lots of frilly fronds: the fennel frond pesto is one of my favorite things about this dish. It not only adds beautiful color, it gives a pop of freshness, texture, and flavor to an already flavor-packed dish.

A few notes: Farro comes in three main types: whole (or unpearled), semi-pearled, and pearled. (Pearling refers to how much of the exterior bran is removed; thus, whole farro has the longest cooking time, followed by semi-pearled and pearled.) I developed the recipe below using semi-pearled farro. If using pearled, often labeled as “10-minute” farro, follow the same instructions and check for doneness at the 20-minute mark (and spoon off any excess liquid if you like). Whole farro will take upwards of 60 minutes, so either soak it overnight, or start with an additional 1/4 cup water and add more liquid, as needed, until it’s fully tender.

Using this basic formula, nearly everything about this recipe is adaptable: the grains (try pearled barley or wheat berries), the liquid (add a little heavy cream or coconut milk towards the end for a more indulgent version), and the flavors (slip in other vegetables, aromatics, herbs, and spices for nearly infinite variations). You may need to adjust the amount of liquid and cook time for different grains, but it’s easy to add more liquid if the pan looks dry, or spoon some off once the grains are done. —EmilyC