Fall Veggie Farro Bake
Difficulty: Easy!Servings
6-7
servingsLasagna’s much younger and cooler cousin – the faro bake. Farro is a grain that has lots of texture: little gems that have have tooth. Layer those with butternut squash and caramelized onions, plenty of gouda and sausage, and you’ve got a warm and yummy dinner. As part of my September 2021 Times Union story. Read the full story here.
Ingredients
1 cup pearled farro
Olive oil
½ large yellow onion, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
Kosher salt
1 rosemary stem
1 ½ cups rounded cup cubed butternut squash (about ½ small squash)
1 cup stemmed and chopped kale
5 Italian sausages, cooked and chopped
2 cups shredded Gouda cheese
Directions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the farro for 9 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, pour a swirl of olive oil into a large heavy-bottomed pot set over medium low heat. Cook the onion until it’s very soft and starting to brown on the edges, about 10 minutes. Turn the heat down if it’s browning quickly. Add the garlic, season with a generous pinch of salt and cook for another minute. Stir in the rosemary stem, squash and 1 cup water. Cook, stirring now and then, until the squash can be pierced with a fork, 10 more minutes. Stir in the kale and sausage, remove the rosemary and turn off the heat. Taste and add more salt, if desired.
Preheat the oven to 350°. - Brush the bottom of a 9×13 glass baking dish with olive oil. Spread in the farro, then the squash and sausage. Top with the cheese, spreading evenly over the top.
Brush a piece of aluminum foil with olive oil (to keep the cheese from sticking) and wrap it tight. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and slide it under the broiler. When it’s bubbly and golden brown, pull it out. Allow to cool for a few minutes and serve warm.
