If you've picked up a copy of The Easy Vegetarian Kitchen, you're probably already familiar with my love of using farro in risottos. The chewy texture of cooked farro lends itself well to the overall dish. Even when using the pearled variety, it feels a bit heartier than if using arborio rice.
Of course, time isn't always on our sides to make regular risotto and that's where this baked version comes in handy. No stirring and adding liquids, just throwing things in a pot a few times. The recipe from which I adapted this one calls for adding butternut squash at the beginning but I like my cauliflower to have texture. I add the chipped cauliflower part of the way through cooking. Feel free to experiment with cooking times based on your preferred tenderness.
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Salt: I usually add the least amount of salt only because if you're not using homemade broth, the salt levels can vary. Start with a 1/4 teaspoon and add more before serving if needed.
Parmesan: As always, look for vegetarian friendly parmesan cheese (this is a good list of brands to look for).
Dutch Oven: I'm currently using a dutch oven I purchased from Ikea but Lodge makes a really nice one as well.
Recipe is adapted from this butternut squash version.
I think what I love most about risotto is that it's really a great base for using whatever is in season. As you can see, the original recipe used squash and bacon (which I ditched much to the chagrin of my husband).
Produce: Squash or sweet potatoes are the first logical swap but in the spring I make this with asparagus and in summer, I love it with zucchini.
Cheese: I kept the parmesan from the original recipe but I usually use whatever I have on hand. Goat cheese, gouda, asiago, and even cheddar have found a home in this baked risotto, depending on the other ingredients.
Make it Vegan: Unlike traditional risotto, this baked farro risotto is fairly easy to make vegan: just ditch the cheese. The baked risotto isn't meant to be as creamy as it's stovetop counterpart which makes leaving the cheese out easy (and not really missed).
Since I mentioned my love of farro and risotto, here's a few more inspirations for cooking up a good farro risotto (traditional or baked). Just make sure you're using pearled farro.
Summer: Sun-Dried Tomato and Corn Farro Risotto
Fall: Sweet Potato and Gorgonzola Farro Risotto
Spring: Pea Asparagus Farro Risotto
Farro is one of my favourite grains, and I'm delighted to see it starring in this beautiful recipe. I am certain the technique of risotto cooking would work really well for it!
Risotto is my go to dish for winter. I'm making this one for the boyfriend this month 🙂
This looks fantastic! And, lucky enough, I just happen to have all the ingredients on hand. One clarification: you mention the cook time in the oven, but I didn't see a temperature. What temperature did you bake at? Thanks!
Whoops- added! It's 375˚ F.
Thanks for updating! I made this for dinner tonight and loved it! Easy preparation, delicious results. Thank you for sharing!
★★★★★
Help! I am making this tonight and don't see what the oven temp should be...
It's at the top of the instructions! 375˚.
This simply looks delicious! One of my favourite ever dishes is risotto, but since going vegetarian I don't eat duck obviously, and trying to be vegan means even most veggie risottos aren't accessible to me. I'm so excited to try this out!
I followed the recipe and it came out as advertised. However, it was a little dry for our tastes and in the future I will try to cook it so it is not totally dry in the end. That being the case the flavors were excellent and the recipe was easy to manage. I will make this again perhaps using different vegetables.
★★★★
I made this for dinner tonight and I was just fantastic. The only difference was that I roasted my cauliflower separately and then put on top of the risotto for serving, but other than that I followed the instructions. It was a little salty, I wish I hadn't added any salt until the end, but it was still great. I'm going to use this baked farro as a base for all kinds of things. It was so easy!
★★★★
Made this tonight with asparagus and it was delicious. The thyme was a tad overpowering for me so I’ll dial it back next time but overall, a great & flavorful dish
★★★★