Farrotto with Roasted Summer Vegetables
Cool, crisp, no-cook salads tend to be the stars of summer, but this meal is worth turning your oven on for. Eat this for dinner on the patio, or prep it for a week of lunches, reheated or served cold!
Ingredients
- 1 small yellow onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ cups semi-pearled farro rinsed
- ½ cup dry white wine I like sauvignon blanc
- 5 cups low-sodium vegetable stock or chicken stock or BTB + water—see page 21, plus more if needed
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium zucchini
- 1 medium yellow squash
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 small red onion
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 4 TBSP ½ stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 2 ounces, plus more for serving
- 1 lemon
- Chopped soft green herbs for serving
Instructions
- Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 325℉ (160℃) Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Finely chop the small yellow onion and the garlic. Warm 2 TBSP olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. When it shimmers, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the farro and cook, stirring, until slightly toasted, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Pour in the white wine and cook until mostly evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes. Add 4 cups of the stock, 1 tsp salt, and some black pepper. Turn up the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Cover with the lid and transfer to the lower rack of the oven.
- Bake the farrotto until the farro is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 ½ hours total.
- Immediately after you put the farro in the oven, prep the vegetables, placing them on the prepared baking sheet as you go. Cut the zucchini and yellow squash in half lengthwise and then crosswise into ½ -inch thick half circles. Slice the bell pepper into ½ -inch-thick strips. Cut the red onion into 1-inch-thick wedges. Add the whole cherry tomatoes and drizzle over 2 tablespoons olive oil, a couple of generous pinches of salt, and some black pepper. Toss to coat everything evenly.
- Transfer to the upper rack of the oven and bake for about 75 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and lightly browned in spots and the tomatoes have collapsed.
- When the farrotto is done, remove the pot from the oven. Carefully remove the lid and stir in the butter, Parm, and ½ cup stock. Add the rest of the stock as needed until the farrotto is really creamy. Halve the lemon and squeeze in the juice from 1 half, straining out seeds. Stir, then taste and add more salt or lemon juice as desired.
- Scoop the farrotto into bowls and top each serving with a spoonful of roasted vegetables. Sprinkle with more Parm and chopped herbs.
Notes
LEARN: Semi-pearled farro works best here because it softens gently without getting mushy.
SWAP: Swap the Parmesan for 4 ounces of goat cheese or 8 ounces of brine-packed feta (but add the feta before you transfer the pot to the oven so it can get creamy). •
Don’t feel like opening a whole bottle of wine just to use ½ cup? Pour 2 TBSP light vinegar (champagne or aged sherry vinegar would be great here) into a ½-cup measure, fill it the rest of the way with water, and use that instead.
EXTRA EXTRA: Drizzle each serving with balsamic glaze or a spoonful of pesto.
Recipe reprinted with permission from What to Cook When You Don't Feel Like Cooking: Make it Fast by Caroline Chambers © 2026. Published by Union Square & Co., an imprint of Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group. Photography by Erin Scott.
Nutrition
Serving: 2scoopsCalories: 531kcalCarbohydrates: 81gProtein: 16gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 1407mgPotassium: 950mgFiber: 16gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 2803IUVitamin C: 101mgCalcium: 230mgIron: 4mg
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