Chef notes
Earthy mushrooms, sweet peas and nutty farotto come together to create a comforting but not-too-heavy fall dish. Added bonus: It's very hard to over cook and it reheats really well as leftovers.
Equipment needed: Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 10 ounces creminis or mixed mushrooms, sliced
- 2 leeks, green and root trimmed, sliced lengthwise, cut into half moons and washed
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup farro, rinsed
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 3 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/3 cup freshly grated pecorino romano cheese
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigianno Reggiano
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup frozen peas
Preparation
Heat a 3½-quart pan over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil and heat another 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook, stirring often, for 8 to 10 minutes or until they golden brown and all of the water has cooked out. Remove the mushrooms to a plate with a slotted spoon.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and the leeks. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the leeks, stirring often, until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and salt and cook an additional minute. Reduce the heat to medium and add the farro to the pan and stir to coat the grains in the oil and toast slightly. This will take another 2 to 3 minutes. Deglaze with the white wine and stir. Cook the farro, stirring occasionally, until the white is almost completely gone. This will take about 8 minutes.
Continue doing this with the broth, adding in 1 cup increments and cooking down until almost gone. Remember to stir often to help create a creamy texture. This will take about 45 minutes to complete. When the farro is tender and almost all of the liquid has been absorbed, stir in the mushrooms, pecorino, parmesan and butter. Continue to stir until the butter is melted in and the mixture is creamy. Stir in the peas at the last minute just to warm them through.
