Spring Peas and Calamari Stew with Toasted Farro

Ingredients

Extra-virgin olive oil

5 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

Dried chile flakes

1 cup (200 g) uncooked farro

1 quart (1 liter) water

1 bay leaf

Kosher salt

3 or 4 scallions, trimmed (including ½ inch/1.5 cm off the green tops) and thinly sliced

¼ cup (60 g) tomato paste

1 pound (450 g) cleaned squid, tentacles left whole or halved if large, bodies sliced across into ¼-inch- thick (6 mm) rings

1 cup (240 ml) dry white wine

1 cup (145 g) English peas (fresh or frozen)

1 cup (145 g) diced sugar snap peas

Freshly ground black pepper

Small handful fresh mint leaves, torn

Small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Lemon wedges, for squeezing

Directions

Pour a small glug of olive oil into Add the tomato paste and stir a heavy-bottomed saucepan with a lid and heat over medium heat. Add 2 cloves of the garlic and a pinch of dried chile flakes. Cook slowly until the garlic is getting soft, fragrant, and nicely golden brown, about 3 minutes. Add the farro and cook, stirring constantly so the grains toast evenly, until slightly darkened and fragrant.

Add the water, bay leaf, and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until the farro is tender and all the water has been absorbed, 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the farro. Drain off any remaining liquid, taste, and adjust with more salt if needed. Set aside and keep warm.

Put a generous glug of olive oil, another small pinch of chile flakes, and the remaining 3 cloves garlic in a large skillet. Cook slowly over medium heat until the garlic is getting soft, fragrant, and nicely golden brown, about 3 minutes. Add the scallions and cook until they start to soften, another 2 minutes.

Add the tomato paste and stir it into the scallions and garlic. Cook, stirring and scraping the pan constantly, until it has concentrated and darkened slightly, about 3 minutes.

Add the squid rings and tentacles and toss to get all the squid coated with tomato. Increase the heat to high, add the wine, and stir and scrape until the tomato paste is dissolved in the wine.

Add the English peas, sugar snaps, and a few twists of black pepper and cook for another minute or two, shaking the pan and moving your ingredients around. You want the squid to be just cooked, the peas crisp- tender, and the liquid reduced; the dish should still be quite "saucy."

Remove from the heat, taste, and adjust with more chile flakes, salt, or black pepper. Add the mint and parsley and toss again.

Pile the warm farro in a serving bowl and top with the squid and pea stew. Drizzle the dish with a little more olive oil, and serve right away, with lemon wedges.

Notes

When spring finally arrives, I roll out every form of pea and eat as many as I can. Here I'm using English peas and sugar snaps, but you could use just one of them. If you find pea tendrils, add them along with the peas. No need to chop (unless they seem very tough); I like a big tangle of tendrils!

I toast up my farro nice and dark to deepen its flavor and

contrast with all those bright green vegetables. —Serves 3 or 4