basil pesto farro with roasted acorn squash

Farro is one of my favorite grains. It has a bit of a nutty flavor, a slightly chewy texture, and is great for adding substantiality to vegetarian mains. It's also extremely versatile—hence why I ate it in salads one week, then stuffed it into squash for this delicious dish. 

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While it's no secret I'm a sucker for butternut squash, acorn squash holds a place in my heart as well. It's slightly easier to work with, and works best when roasted in the oven with just a drizzle of olive oil. Although you can peel the squash before roasting, I like to leave the pretty edges on the squash. Once roasted, the squash pulls away from the skin easily, so you can eat around it without a problem. 

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I love this dish in particular because of the combination of the warm farro salad and the sweet and tender squash. The farro is tossed with a homemade basil pesto, then combined with feta cheese, crunchy apple and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Piling it into the squash rings makes for a gorgeous presentation. 

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Basil Pesto Farro with Roasted Acorn Squash

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the squash:

• 1 medium acorn squash
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

For the pesto (this will make about 1 cup, so you won’t use it all in the farro):

• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 cups fresh basil leaves
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• freshly cracked black pepper

For the farro:

• 1 cup raw farro
• 1/4 cup homemade pesto
• 2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 bunch radish bulbs, thinly sliced (or sub with other veggies, such as celery)
• 1 small apple, diced
• sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• tablespoon of toasted pine nuts (optional)

Instructions

For the squash:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

1. Cut the acorn squash into 1/2-inch rings, then remove the seeded center with a large metal spoon. Discard the center.
2. Drizzle the rings with the olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and place them on a sheet pan.
3. Roast the squash for about 10 minutes, flip them over, then roast for 5 minutes more, until golden brown and tender. Transfer to a serving platter.

For the pesto:

1. In a food processor, combine the pine nuts and garlic. Pulse a few times.
2. Add the basil, parmesan, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and 1/4 cup olive oil; process until very fine.
3. Gradually add the rest of the oil to taste — you may not need it all. Pulse until smooth.

For the farro:

1. Cook the faro according to package instructions.
2. In a bowl, combine the farro, 1/4 cup pesto, feta cheese, radishes or celery, and apples. Add salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste.
3. Spoon the farro into the squash rings, and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts, if desired.

Recipe adapted from Bountiful. 

Enjoy!

grace