Farrotto, in the Style of Cacio e Pepe

Ingredients

1 cup (200 g) uncooked pearled farro

7 cups (1.7 liters) chicken broth or vegetable broth

Extra-virgin olive oil

2 medium shallots, minced

2 or 3 garlic cloves, chopped

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup (60 g) finely grated

Parmigiano-Reggiano

¼ cup (30 g) finely grated pecorino cheese

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup (7 g) chopped or torn fresh herbs, such as parsley, basil, tarragon, or a combination (optional)

Directions

Put the farro in a food processor and pulse a few times until the grains are broken up, but don't turn it into a fine meal. (Depending on your processor blade, your farro may not actually look super chopped up, but it will at least be "scored," which will allow it to absorb liquid more easily.)

Put the broth in a saucepan and bring to a very low simmer.

Pour a generous glug of olive oil into a heavy-bottomed saucepan or deep sauté pan and heat over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, garlic, and cracked farro. Cook, stirring constantly so nothing actually browns, until the farro is lightly toasted and the shallots and garlic are soft and fragrant, about 4 minutes.

Add a ladleful of the warm broth, adjust the heat so everything simmers merrily, and cook, stirring every few moments, until the farro has absorbed all the liquid. Add another ladleful of broth and repeat. Continueuntil the farro is plump and the mixture is starting to get creamy, about 40 minutes. Start tasting after a few ladlefuls so you can gauge the doneness of the farro. You may not use all the broth, or you may need to use it all then add more; you can use water if you don't have any more

When the farro is a nice tender-but-chewy texture, stir in a final bit of liquid so the mixture is a little looser than your final desired texture, because when you add the cheese, the farrotto will become thicker and tighter.

Add the butter, Parmigiano, pecorino, and a few big twists of black pepper and stir for a few seconds until well incorporated and creamy. Taste and adjust the flavor and consistency with salt, more pepper, or more liquid.

Fold in the herbs, if using, and serve right away.

Notes

Despite my devotion to Italian cooking, I do not like risto. But l love making this farro dish that uses the same technique: Toast the grain and some aromatics in oil and then cook the grain by gradually adding broth until the texture is tender and creamy. I first encountered this method in a recipe by food writer and whole-grain champion Martha Rose Shulman, and over the years have adapted it to my own tastes. This basic cheese-and- black-pepper version is a good foundational recipe from which you can go crazy with variations.

Farro is a lot denser than the polished white Arborio rice typically used in risotto, so you need to take measures to allow the kernels to become tender and encourage the creamy starch to develop. I usually use pearled farro, which has had the tough hull removed, and I break up the kernels by spinning it in a

food processor for a few pulses. You want the grains broken

up into irregular bits, but you don't want them too fine. Hulled

farro (which still has the bran coating the kernels) will work fine,

especially after a trip through the food processor, but will take

longer to cook and may not give you as creamy a result. -Serves 4

Mushroom Farrotto: Sauté 1 pound (450 g) sliced mushrooms (wild varieties, if you have them, but creminis or white button mushrooms will be fine) in about 1½ tablespoons butter, seasoning them lightly with salt and black pepper. When they are browned, transfer to a bowl and set aside while you proceed with the main recipe. Fold the sautéed mushrooms into the farrotto when you add the cheese.

Seasonal Vegetable Farrotto: Create your own combo with the vegetable mix of your choice. Cook them separately (roasted or charred under the broiler), or simmer the vegetables in the chicken broth and add to the farrotto toward the end

of cooking.

Kale Farrotto: Fold about 1 cup (240 ml) Updated Kale Sauce (page 319) into the farrotto when you think you're about midway through cooking. You will probably need to add less chicken broth, because the kale sauce counts as

Seafood Farrotto: Fold some cooked crab, shrimp, lobster, or scallops into the farrotto when you add the cheese. And don't worry about the "Italians don't eat cheese with seafood" rule, because seafood and cheese is delicious.

Pork Farrotto: Some diced prosciutto, cooked pancetta or bacon, or ham is delicious in farrotto, especially with the mushroom version. Fold it in toward the end of cooking.