Farro Risotto with Butternut Squash
Recipe by Nicole Thom-Arens
Serves 4 to 6
I’ve been making roasted butternut squash for more than 20 years—when I first saw it on Barefoot Contessa. For years I made it with arborio rice like traditional risotto, but after reading Grains for Every Season, I started making it with farro. The flavors are just as good as with rice, but the farro adds so many more nutrients and a nuttier flavor, which I adore especially in the winter. This does take more than an hour to come together with a little bit of monitoring as you stir frequently and add the broth in stages.
This can easily be made vegan by using vegetable broth and nutritional yeast instead of parmesan.
Ingredients:
1 medium butternut squash2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided3 to 4 teaspoons of kosher salt, divided (Reduce if not using Diamond kosher salt.)1 medium yellow onion1 cup farro, unrinsed 8 cups vegetable or chicken broth1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese or 1 to 2 tablespoons nutritional yeastJuice of 1 lemon
Instructions:
1) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.2) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.3) Peel and dice the butternut squash into 1/2-inch to 1-inch pieces.4) Place the cubed squash on the baking sheet and drizzle with 1 to 2 tablespoon of olive oil. 5) Sprinkle the squash with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. 6) Toss. 7) Roast the squash at 425 degrees for 40 to 60 minutes, stirring once halfway through. (You want to the squash to be tender so that it mashes easily and slightly caramelized.) 8) Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium low heat. 9) Chop the onion. 10) Add the onion to the hot oil. Sprinkle generously with salt. Cook until translucent and tender.11) Heat the broth in a separate saucepan to a simmer. Keep at a slight simmer while making the risotto. 12) Once the onion is tender, add the farro. Stir to combine with the oil and onion. Cook until slightly toasted, 2 to 3 minutes. 13) Add 1 to 1 1/2 cups of broth to the farro and onion. Stir. 14) Reduce heat to a simmer, so that the farro can absorb the broth. Stir occasionally. 15) Once most of the broth has been absorbed, add an additional 1 to 1 1/2 cups broth, simmer until mostly absorbed. Stir occasionally. 16) Continue this process until you’ve added 6 1/2 to 7 cups of broth. Continue to stir occasionally to avoid burning or sticking to the bottom of the pan. 17) When you’re down to the final cup of or cup-and-a-half of broth, add it along with the juice of the lemon, and the cheese or nutritional yeast. Stir to combine. 18) When the farro is tender and the risotto thick, add the roasted butternut squash. I like to stir this vigorously so that some of the squash mashes and combines with the sauce of the risotto. 19) Finish with additional kosher salt if needed. Saltiness will vary depending on the broth, squash, and cheese/nutritional yeast added. 20) Serve in a bowl with a side of hearty bread or as a side to chicken.
This can easily be made vegan by using vegetable broth and nutritional yeast instead of parmesan.
Ingredients:
1 medium butternut squash2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided3 to 4 teaspoons of kosher salt, divided (Reduce if not using Diamond kosher salt.)1 medium yellow onion1 cup farro, unrinsed 8 cups vegetable or chicken broth1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese or 1 to 2 tablespoons nutritional yeastJuice of 1 lemon
Instructions:
1) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.2) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.3) Peel and dice the butternut squash into 1/2-inch to 1-inch pieces.4) Place the cubed squash on the baking sheet and drizzle with 1 to 2 tablespoon of olive oil. 5) Sprinkle the squash with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. 6) Toss. 7) Roast the squash at 425 degrees for 40 to 60 minutes, stirring once halfway through. (You want to the squash to be tender so that it mashes easily and slightly caramelized.) 8) Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium low heat. 9) Chop the onion. 10) Add the onion to the hot oil. Sprinkle generously with salt. Cook until translucent and tender.11) Heat the broth in a separate saucepan to a simmer. Keep at a slight simmer while making the risotto. 12) Once the onion is tender, add the farro. Stir to combine with the oil and onion. Cook until slightly toasted, 2 to 3 minutes. 13) Add 1 to 1 1/2 cups of broth to the farro and onion. Stir. 14) Reduce heat to a simmer, so that the farro can absorb the broth. Stir occasionally. 15) Once most of the broth has been absorbed, add an additional 1 to 1 1/2 cups broth, simmer until mostly absorbed. Stir occasionally. 16) Continue this process until you’ve added 6 1/2 to 7 cups of broth. Continue to stir occasionally to avoid burning or sticking to the bottom of the pan. 17) When you’re down to the final cup of or cup-and-a-half of broth, add it along with the juice of the lemon, and the cheese or nutritional yeast. Stir to combine. 18) When the farro is tender and the risotto thick, add the roasted butternut squash. I like to stir this vigorously so that some of the squash mashes and combines with the sauce of the risotto. 19) Finish with additional kosher salt if needed. Saltiness will vary depending on the broth, squash, and cheese/nutritional yeast added. 20) Serve in a bowl with a side of hearty bread or as a side to chicken.