Creamy black garlic-spinach farro risotto with balsamic and herb-roasted tomatoes.
This dish has two fun ingredients that you may or may not be familiar with, farro and black garlic.
Farro is a term that refers to three species of hulled wheat; spelt, emmer, and einkorn. Emmer is the most commonly found species in the U.S. It is also considered “true” farro by the Italians. Farro comes in three different varieties; whole-grain, semi-pearled, and pearled. I used pearled spelt farro for this recipe, but any species or variety can be used. The biggest difference between the varieties is the cooking time and the amount of liquid needed. Pearled wheat being the most broken down, will cook faster and require less liquid. Whole-grain will take the longest and may need presoaking. Toasting farro brings out its nutty flavor. I do this in the pan I’m cooking in, but again I’m using pearled farro. For whole-grain farro, toast it in a dry skillet before soaking.
Black garlic is a type of aged garlic. The whole garlic bulbs are heated at a low temperature over weeks to months. The result is black, slightly gummy cloves that have a sweet balsamic like flavor. Black garlic may be difficult to source. It can usually be found in Asian markets or sections of the grocery store and online.
Spinach Farro Risotto
Ingredients
Roasted Tomatoes
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/2 tsp garlic minced
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 tsp fresh rosemary chopped
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/16 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp olive oil
Risotto
- 1/2 onion diced 1 cup
- 5 cloves black garlic plus more for garnish
- 3 tbsp butter divided
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1/4 tsp fresh rosemary chopped
- 1 cup farro
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 5 cups water
- 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 4 cups spinach
Instructions
Roasted Tomatoes
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice the tomatoes in half and place on a lined sheet pan. Mix with garlic, balsamic, rosemary, salt, pepper, and oil. Roast in the oven for 30-45 minutes. They should still be a little juicy. Remove from oven and serve warm.
Risotto
- Heat a large pot with 1 T butter and oil, over medium heat. Add the onion and black garlic to the pot. Cook until the onions have softened. Add the farro and the rosemary. Toast for 1-2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low and begin adding the water one cup at a time. Let the liquid absorb before adding the next cup. Stir the farro frequently. Reduce the liquid until the farro has a creamy consistency. Turn off the heat and add the salt, pepper, spinach, balsamic, and 2 T butter. Spoon onto 3 plates. Garnish with tomatoes, black garlic, and rosemary.
