Mushroom and pea farro risotto is easy and delicious.

Eliminates the tedious stirring time for traditional risotto. From prep to bowl in around 55 minutes, this dish is perfect as a side or even a meal.

bowl of mushroom and pea farro risotto with lemon wedges

Mushroom and Pea Farro Risotto

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A few months ago my husband and I had dinner at The Hamilton, a popular restaurant in Washington, DC. As I was looking at the menu I landed on this one dish.

Pan-Seared Sea Scallops, hedgehog mushrooms, crispy brussels sprouts, farro, lobster velouté.

That sounded SO DAMN GOOD I had to have it.

I ordered it because I love scallops. When it was all said and done, I loved the dish more for the farro than the scallops.

That started my obsession with this ancient grain and I have been cooking with and learning about it ever since.

Farro has been around forever…or at least a few thousand years. 

It is a dichotomy of texture. Soft and dense at the same time. It tastes nutty and earthy with a hint of sweetness.

It is so versatile, too!

You can eat it plain with just a little sea salt and olive oil or gussy it up like I did with this “farroto”.

Farro is a nutrient powerhouse.

In an age where anything carbohydrate seems to be banned, I’m championing this grain for it’s healthy features.

  • Low calorie
  • Lots of fiber
  • High protein for a plant based protein
  • Lots of magnesium, niacin, zinc, iron

Farro is a wheat grain. So it’s a no-no for those gluten intolerant folks.

The protein content is great for this little grain. A 3/4 cup serving packs in about 7 grams of protein.

That makes it a great addition to your diet if you are looking for simple plant based protein sources.

Short on time? Ready to get cookin’? Click below to go straight to the recipe.

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mushroom and pea farro risotto with lemon pinterest image

Simple Serving Suggestions:

Serve as a side dish with a sprinkling of fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon.

It will accompany any protein you like. I like to pair it with salmon or roasted chicken.

This is so filling and delicious that you can even serve the farro as a meal. Add a sunny side up egg for an extra special meal.

This will store in the fridge for up to 2 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. To reheat, I suggest that you bring from frozen to cold in the fridge for a few hours then heat over low until warmed through.

Adaptations —

You can add just about any veggie you want if you don’t like peas.

  • Chopped Brocolli
  • Asparagus
  • Kale
  • Arugula
  • Butternut Squash

Try different herb and seasoning combos:

  • Lemon and Basil
  • Lemon and Arugula
  • Corriander, Cumin, and Tomato
  • Feta and kalamata olives

Wine Pairing:

Depending on the protein you serve with this dish, you could go a variety of ways with your wine choice.

White wines pair nicely with the recipe as prepared. I love a nice Sauvignon Blanc or crisp Chardonnay.

If you serve the dish with red meat or a richer sauce, it would pair nicely with a Bordeaux style red.

Try this recipe and let me know what you think.
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Mushroom and Pea Farro?

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mushroom and pea farro risotto with lemon

Mushroom and Pea Farro Risotto


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Description

Easy, flavor-filled Mushroom and Pea Farro Risotto will become one of your favorite side dishes. Farro is a nutrient-packed flexible grain that creates a perfect backdrop for luxurious flavors.


Ingredients

Scale

Oils/Broth:

  • 3 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 2 ½ cups of chicken or vegetable broth

Veggies, Herbs, Spices:

  • 4 oz. of washed and sliced mushrooms — I prefer baby bella’s or you can use crimini
  • ½ cup of green peas (fresh or frozen — NOT canned)
  • A few sprigs of fresh thyme or ¼ tsp. Dried Thyme
  • 1 garlic clove peeled and minced
  • 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley
  • ¼ cup of chopped onions
  • 1 tablespoon of lemon grated lemon rind

Grains:

  • 1 ½ cup of pearled farro — farro without the husk

Dairy:

  • ¼ cup of grated parmesan cheese
  • ¼ cup of ricotta cheese

Meat:

  • 3 pieces of cooked bacon (chopped or 3 oz. of cooked cubed pancetta (this can be omitted if you want a vegetarian dish))

Seasonings:

  • 3 tablespoons of Marsala wine
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • A squeeze of lemon to finish

Instructions

  1. Prep — do this first. 
  2. By prepping your food before you begin to cook you can save time in the long run. Plus, you won’t forget anything. 
  3. For each of the items below, after the prep stage, just set aside until the fun begins. 
  4. So you don’t have a million dishes to wash, take a large plate or even a paper plate and make neat piles of the ingredients after they have been prepped.
  5. It’s important to keep the ingredients separate unless noted. They are added at different times during the cooking process.
  6. Don’t combine the liquids into one container. They will be used at different times.
  7. Feel free to get your chef on and use separate ramekins if you would like.
  8. Measure out your oil and Marsala
  9. Finely chop the onions 
  10. Slice the mushrooms abt a ¼ inch slices
  11. Mince the garlic
  12. Chop the fresh herbs
  13. Rinse the peas in cold water. If using frozen peas, let sit in cold water while prepping other ingredients. Drain before using. Canned peas ARE NOT recommended (too mushy — eww!)
  14. Cook the bacon — oven cooked bacon is the best. If you are using pancetta, saute in the saute pan until the pancetta starts to release its fat. Remove the pancetta to your prep plate or a bowl. LEAVE the oil in the pan
  15. Warm up the stock in a saucepan. Keep warm while prepping
  16. Grate the lemon peel
  17. Chop lemon after grating into wedges
  18. Measure out the farro
  19. Measure out the ricotta and parmesan cheese and mix together.

Cook the farro:

  1. In a large saucepan, warm the broth.
  2. Add the farro and cook for about 30 minutes, until the farro is tender. It should be soft but not mushy. There should be a nice chew to the grain. Check the label on your brand to confirm time.
  3. While the farro is cooking, you can begin cooking the bacon or pancetta and the other ingredients. 
  4. At the end, we will be combining the farro with the veggies, spices, and cheeses. 

Cooking the remaining items:

  1. If you are using pancetta, cook the pancetta on medium in the saute pan for about 5-6 minutes until the pancetta begins to release some fat. Remove and set aside for later. Leave the fat in the pan.
  2. If you are using bacon. Begin cooking the bacon in the oven. Here’s the recipe. SO easy and takes about 20 minutes. 
  3. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large enameled saute pan or dutch oven to a shimmer. —>This is my favorite pan for this recipe. 
  4. Saute the onions in the pan until they are translucent. Don’t add salt until you add the peas AFTER you add the mushrooms. That’s next. 
  5. Add the sliced mushrooms to the pan. Saute with the onions until tender and both are starting to brown. 
  6. Add the minced garlic and thyme and saute with all above for about 2 minutes
  7. Add the peas and a pinch of salt to the pan and saute with the onions, garlic, thyme, and mushrooms until the peas are heated through.
  8. Add the Marsala and let the mixture cook until lightly bubbling about 7 minutes. This will cook off the alcohol.
  9. Checkpoint: 
  10. All of your ingredients have been measured and portioned and set aside.
  11. Your onions, mushrooms, peas, thyme, garlic and a pinch of salt have been sauteed in olive oil. Right?
  12. Your farro is cooking in a saucepan.
  13. Your bacon is in the oven cooking or you have cooked the pancetta.

Putting it all together:

  1. Farro is cooked.
  2. Bacon is cooked and chopped.
  3. Veggies, thyme, and Marsala are cooked and ready.

Combine the ingredients and serve:

  1. Combine the farro with the veggie/marsala mixture in the saute pan.
  2. Warm all the ingredients together. 
  3. Add the ricotta cheese and parmesan to the farro/veggie/marsala mixture and mix together.
  4. Add the cooked chopped bacon/pancetta and mix in.
  5. Sprinkle in the grated lemon rind and toss together.
  6. Taste everything together and decide if you need a sprinkle or two of salt. Add your pepper.

Notes

Serving Suggestion:

Serve as a side dish with a sprinkling of fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon.

It will accompany any protein you like. I like to pair it with salmon or roasted chicken.

This is so filling and delicious that you can even serve the farro as a meal. Add a sunny side up egg for an extra special meal.

This will store in the fridge for up to 2 days.  You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. To reheat, I suggest that you bring from frozen to cold in the fridge for a few hours then heat over low until warmed through.

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 26 minute
  • Category: Main Dishes, Side Dishes
  • Cuisine: Italian
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Hey, I’m Lisa and I’m glad you stopped by. I love food and wine and making things that people love. Speaking of love, that’s my hubby with me in this photo. We were in one of the many tulip fields in Holland in 2018.  Such beautiful colors and these fields stretched for miles and miles. Anyway, thanks for checking out the recipe. I’d love to hear how it goes when you make it so come back to the recipe and leave a comment and rating. Also, don’t forget to share your photo on Instagram and tag #vineandplate so I can brag about you 😉 …. Read More