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Home Ā» Side Dish Recipes

January 30, 2015 · 32 Comments

Creamy Farro with Spinach, Garlic and Asiago

Italian· Side Dish Recipes· Vegetarian Recipes

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Italian whole wheat farro combined with fresh baby spinach, garlic, Asiago cheese and butter; then served as a warm side dish.

Italian whole wheat farro combined with fresh baby spinach, garlic, Asiago cheese and butter; then served as a warm side dish.

Creamy Farro with Spinach, Garlic & Asiago

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.

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!

Farro

Photo Courtesy of Bob's Red Mill

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

Creamy Farro with Spinach, Garlic & Asiago 2

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

Italian whole wheat farro combined with fresh baby spinach, garlic, Asiago cheese and butter; then served as a warm side dish.

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!

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Creamy Farro with Spinach, Garlic & Asiago
Print Pin
3.74 from 82 votes

Creamy Farro with Spinach, Garlic and Asiago

Italian whole wheat farro combined with fresh baby spinach, garlic, Asiago cheese and butter; then served as a warm side dish.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Italian
Keyword farro
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 227kcal
Author Carrie's Experimental Kitchen

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

Serving: 1g | Calories: 227kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 154mg | Potassium: 139mg | Fiber: 6g

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Italian whole wheat farro combined with fresh baby spinach, garlic, Asiago cheese and butter; then served as a warm side dish.

 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts says

    February 01, 2015 at 4:16 am

    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.

    Reply
    • carrieexpktchn@optonline.net says

      February 01, 2015 at 7:46 am

      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!

      Reply
      • Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts says

        March 17, 2015 at 6:24 am

        5 stars
        Hi Carrie,

        Just wanted to let you know that I tried this with freekeh and it was delish. Thank you

        Reply
        • carrieexpktchn@optonline.net says

          March 20, 2015 at 7:30 am

          Hi Claire, I'm so glad you liked it. Thanks for stopping back to let me know. Have a great weekend!

          Reply
  2. Melanie Greer says

    April 06, 2015 at 9:31 pm

    2 stars
    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.

    Reply
    • carrieexpktchn@optonline.net says

      April 07, 2015 at 5:58 am

      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!

      Reply
  3. Lesly says

    May 15, 2016 at 12:57 pm

    I'm going to make this this week! Do you sautĆ© the spinach first or anything? I'm very excited, I've never had farrow before! Thanks for posting šŸ™‚

    Reply
    • Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says

      May 15, 2016 at 1:17 pm

      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! šŸ™‚

      Reply
  4. Kathie says

    June 20, 2016 at 4:52 pm

    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 ?

    Reply
    • Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says

      June 21, 2016 at 5:28 am

      I'm so glad you enjoyed it and the more cheese the better I say! šŸ™‚

      Reply
  5. Rachel Shipp says

    December 12, 2016 at 8:19 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says

      December 12, 2016 at 8:44 pm

      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! šŸ™‚

      Reply
  6. Zlata says

    January 03, 2017 at 11:33 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says

      January 04, 2017 at 6:09 am

      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).

      Reply
  7. Jamie says

    January 20, 2017 at 6:12 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says

      January 21, 2017 at 7:59 am

      I'm so glad you enjoyed it Jamie!

      Reply
  8. Paige Bouzaglou says

    March 14, 2018 at 7:34 pm

    Hey, can I use frozen spinach? Don't have fresh!!

    Reply
    • Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says

      March 15, 2018 at 5:57 am

      Sure, that should work fine. Enjoy!

      Reply
  9. rebekah says

    August 17, 2018 at 2:57 pm

    can this be made ahead and frozen in meal prep? it looks REALLY good!

    Reply
    • Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says

      August 19, 2018 at 8:01 am

      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.

      Reply
  10. Allison says

    March 26, 2020 at 8:36 am

    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!

    Reply
    • Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says

      March 26, 2020 at 10:30 am

      I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe and LOVE your substitutions; I'll have to try it with those cheeses too!

      Reply
  11. Scooby Doo says

    June 05, 2020 at 8:12 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says

      June 05, 2020 at 10:54 am

      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!

      Reply
  12. Derrien Kellum says

    June 06, 2020 at 6:21 pm

    Can I use ORZO pasta instead of Farro?? I have no Farro in my entire neighborhood - I looked everywhere!

    Reply
    • Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says

      June 06, 2020 at 7:12 pm

      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.

      Reply
  13. Bethann says

    May 14, 2021 at 1:27 pm

    I think it would be great with Freekeh—will try that, too!

    Reply
    • Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says

      May 14, 2021 at 3:38 pm

      I've never tried freekeh so let me know how it turns out!

      Reply
  14. Jessica says

    October 22, 2022 at 8:39 pm

    Wondering where in the store I can find Farro I’m having a tough time finding it

    Reply
    • Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says

      October 23, 2022 at 10:57 am

      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.

      Reply

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