Italian whole wheat farro combined with fresh baby spinach, garlic, Asiago cheese and butter; then served as a warm side dish.
Have you ever tried farro before? It wasn't something I ate growing up until recently when my family and I visited my Aunt and Uncle for dinner one night and my Aunt Bonnie made a warm side dish of farro with spinach, garlic and Parmesan cheese.
My family LOVED it! So when our oldest daughter was heading back to college after winter break, she put in a request for me to make it. You know, struggling college student and all and I was happy to oblige.
I didn't have an exact recipe so I winged it as best I could and came up with this Creamy Farro with Spinach, Garlic & Asiago.
Of course, I had to taste some before I packaged it up for her to take back to school and it was wonderful, with a slightly different flavor since I used Asiago instead of Parmesan. My only regret is that I didn't make more for the rest of us to enjoy!
If you have never tried farro; which is the Italian name for wheat, it has been grown in Italy for centuries and can now be found in North America as well. Farro has a nutty flavor with a chewy texture and is healthy too!
What are the Health Benefits of Farro?
- One cup has about 8 grams of cholesterol-lowering fiber; which is 4x as much as white rice
- Is full of minerals, including magnesium, which may relieve tension and menstrual cramps
- Farro contains complex carbohydrates which break down slowly, keeping your energy level stable
- Contains cyanogenic glucosides, a type of carbohydrate that may boost the immune system
How do you make Farro?
For this recipe I started by cooking the farro in water until it was absorbed. Then I added fresh baby spinach, garlic, shredded Asiago Cheese PDO and a little butter.
This Creamy Farro with Spinach, Garlic and Asiago is also:
- Very low in cholesterol
- Low in sodium
- Very low in sugar
- High in dietary fiber
- Very high in vitamin A
- High in vitamin C
Creamy Farro with Spinach, Garlic & Asiago was delicious and tastes best when served hot or warm as a side dish. (I even think my Aunt would approve...I hope!).
But knowing my daughter, she probably just reheated it and ate it for lunch or dinner 'as-is'. I also like that this recipe can be ready in under 30 minutes; which is a real time saver during the week. ~Enjoy!
More Farro Recipes
- Zuppa di Farro (Italian Farro Soup)
- Greek Farro Salad
- Farro Salad with Pomegranate, Goat Cheese and Walnuts
- Santorini Farro Salad
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Farro with Spinach, Garlic and Asiago
Ingredients
- 1 cup farro
- 2 ½ cups water
- 10 ounces fresh spinach
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- ¼ cup shredded asiago pdo cheese
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Rinse the farro under cold water; then add it to a saucepan with the water and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat and allow to simmer until the water is absorbed; approximately 15 minutes. (Depending on the type of farro you use, cooking time may vary).
- Tear the spinach leaves and add them to the pot along with the garlic, cheese and butter. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Serve hot or warm.
Nutrition
Jessica says
Wondering where in the store I can find Farro I’m having a tough time finding it
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
You can usually find it by other grains or the rice aisle. If your store doesn't carry it, you can also purchase from Amazon (aff link) https://amzn.to/3TMnisr.
Bethann says
I think it would be great with Freekeh—will try that, too!
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
I've never tried freekeh so let me know how it turns out!
Derrien Kellum says
Can I use ORZO pasta instead of Farro?? I have no Farro in my entire neighborhood - I looked everywhere!
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
You can, but orzo is pasta and it will cook much quicker. Also, I'm not sure if the liquid ratio would be correct. I'd just cook the orzo, drain the water and add the remaining ingredients once cooked.
Scooby Doo says
Usually don't comment on recipes, but had to on this. Really, good, really easy. Love farro and have made a few wonderful recipes, but this may have been the easiest -- biggest bang for the buck. Didn't have Asiago, so used Parmesan. Also, my farro took longer but didn't absorb all the liquid, which I should have drained a little, because I hadn't banked on the amount of liquid that the spinach would release when it cooked. Minor problem. Seemed like an awful lot of spinach, but cooked proportions were perfect. Will make this again.
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe, it's one of our favorites too. It is surprising how spinach cooks down so much isn't it? Thanks for trying the recipe!
Allison says
I made this as a main dish and it was SO incredibly delicious! I pre-soaked my farro overnight to decrease the cooking time. While the farro was cooking I sauteed the garlic with a chopped onion. I decided to lightly saute the spinach with the garlic and onion just to begin wilting. I shut the heat off, stirred the farro in, added a pinch of pepper and salt with Gruyere and Swiss and it was DELICIOUS!! I WILL make this again!! Thanks for sharing this delectable recipe!
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe and LOVE your substitutions; I'll have to try it with those cheeses too!
rebekah says
can this be made ahead and frozen in meal prep? it looks REALLY good!
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
To be honest, I've never frozen it so I'm not sure how it would be once defrosted. I have prepared it the day before serving; then reheated and it was fine. If you do try freezing it, please stop back to let me know how it turns out.
Paige Bouzaglou says
Hey, can I use frozen spinach? Don't have fresh!!
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
Sure, that should work fine. Enjoy!
Jamie says
I made this and poached an egg to put on top of it to make it a main course. It was amazing!! This is definitely something I will make again. Thank you!
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it Jamie!
Zlata says
I love this dish, I have made it several times. I used arugula once when I was out of spinach, similar taste. What is the nutrition information ? I notice you have the kcal listed, how many servings are in this recipe? Thank you.
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
Hi Zlata, I'm so glad you enjoy the recipe.I've added a nutritional label to the recipe for you; though it is based on the specific ingredients I used so it may not be 100% accurate. This recipe serves 4 people (1/2 cup servings).
Rachel Shipp says
This is delicious! It has become a favorite, especially on long work days. I will add sausage to use as a main course. My husband looks forward to having it for dinner.
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
Thank you for letting me know, I'm so glad you enjoyed it Rachel! Adding sausage is a great idea, I think I'll have to try that myself next time! 🙂
Kathie says
I made this as a side with Pecan Honey Mustard Salmon. My husband and I liked it very much. I too, had to drain my Farro, and I used less spinach (all I had on hand). I think for the next time I will slightly increase the amount of cheese ?
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it and the more cheese the better I say! 🙂
Lesly says
I'm going to make this this week! Do you sauté the spinach first or anything? I'm very excited, I've never had farrow before! Thanks for posting 🙂
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
Hi Lesly, no I add the spinach in raw as-is. The heat from the cooked farro will wilt the spinach. I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Melanie Greer says
I just made this as a main course tonight . Farro took a little longer and I had to drain mine. While it was out of the pan I sauted the garlic in the butter. Added the farro back in and slowly added the spinach in. (Thank you for putting the spinach in ounces). Stirred in cheese and seasoned. Very good. I only had fontina and Gruyere. Was perfect. Thanks so much.
carrieexpktchn@optonline.net says
I'm so glad you liked it and I bet the combination of those two cheeses tasted wonderful! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts says
This looks delicious.
I haven't seen Farro in the supermarkets or markets here in Australia but I will be keeping an eye out for it, until then I might try this with Freekeh and see how that goes.
Thanks for the inspiration.
carrieexpktchn@optonline.net says
Thank you Claire. I've never tried freekeh so I'm not sure if it's the same texture as farro, but with the addition of the other ingredients I'm sure it will taste fine. You might want to try it with rice too. Enjoy!
Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts says
Hi Carrie,
Just wanted to let you know that I tried this with freekeh and it was delish. Thank you
carrieexpktchn@optonline.net says
Hi Claire, I'm so glad you liked it. Thanks for stopping back to let me know. Have a great weekend!