Farro
Farro is an ancient hulled wheat, often emmer, prized in Italian cooking -- especially in Tuscany and Umbria -- for its chewy texture and nutty flavor. This page covers choosing whole versus pearled farro, storing it, and its classic uses.
How to buy
Whole (hulled) farro keeps more bran and fiber but takes longer to cook, while pearled or semi-pearled farro has some bran polished off for a quicker cook. Look for whole, intact kernels with no musty smell, and double check labeling since 'farro' sometimes refers loosely to emmer, spelt, or einkorn depending on the brand.
How to store
Keep in an airtight container in the pantry for up to a year. Cooked farro keeps in the fridge for about 5 days and freezes well.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Nutty and chewy with a slight sweetness, more robust in flavor than modern bread wheat.
- Texture
- Pleasantly chewy and toothsome, holding its shape well in soups and salads without turning mushy, even after sitting in a dressing.
- Aroma
- A nutty, toasty grain smell, especially when dry-toasted before cooking.
How to prepare
- Simmered whole — Boiled in water or broth until tender but still chewy, the base method for salads and soups.
- Toasted before cooking — Briefly toasted in oil to deepen its nutty flavor before adding liquid.
- Risotto-style (farrotto) — Cooked gradually with stirred-in broth like risotto for a creamy, chewy result.
- Soaked for salads — Soaked overnight to soften slightly before a quick cook, often used cold in salads.
Classic dishes
Italian
- Insalata di farro — A cold farro salad tossed with vegetables, herbs, and olive oil, common across central Italy.
- Farrotto — Farro cooked risotto-style with broth, wine, and parmesan for a chewier alternative to rice risotto.
- Zuppa di farro — A hearty Tuscan soup of farro simmered with beans, vegetables, and olive oil.
- Garmugia lucchese — A spring vegetable soup from Lucca traditionally thickened with farro alongside artichokes and fava beans.
- Farro e ceci — A simple, rustic soup pairing farro with chickpeas, garlic, and rosemary.
- Farro con fagioli — Farro simmered with white beans in a tomato or broth base, a classic Umbrian combination.
- Farro al pomodoro — Cooked farro tossed with a simple tomato and basil sauce.
- Farro with pesto and pine nuts — Cooked farro tossed with basil pesto and toasted pine nuts, served warm or cold.
- Farro pilaf with mushrooms — Farro simmered with broth and folded with sautéed mushrooms and herbs.
- Minestrone with farro — A vegetable minestrone bulked out and given extra chew with farro instead of pasta or rice.
- Farro breakfast porridge — Farro simmered soft with milk and honey, served warm with fruit.
Mediterranean
- Farro and roasted vegetable bowl — Cooked farro tossed with roasted seasonal vegetables and a lemony dressing.
- Farro tabbouleh-style salad — A tabbouleh variation swapping bulgur for farro, tossed with parsley, tomato, and lemon.
- Farro-stuffed peppers — Bell peppers filled with cooked farro, herbs, and cheese, then baked.
- Farro with greens and lemon — Farro tossed with sautéed greens, garlic, and a bright squeeze of lemon.
Substitutions
- Barley — Barley has a similar chew and nuttiness and works in most farro soups and salads.