Risotto Style Farro with Wild Mushrooms & the Perfect Glass of Vino

This post was sponsored by the Italian Trade Agency as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Risotto-style farro with wild mushrooms and blistered tomatoes is best served with a glass of Chianti.  This delicious food and Italian wine pairing is the perfect combo to enjoy on a cold winter night.

Do you have something that you’ve been meaning to do? For decades? I do. Every year I swear… this is the year I will figure out how to manage my photos. And then I get totally and completely overwhelmed by the task. Is 2019 the year for photo archiving? I’m not sure. But, I sure killed a few hours over the weekend pouring over some great pictures.

Some of my favorites? Travel photos that reminded me of some great trips I’ve taken over the years with my husband. Many of them are at wineries.  It’s no secret that I travel for food and wine.  But mostly, it’s the wine.

At the top of my list of favorite places to travel for wine? Italy. Hands down. My husband and I honeymooned in Italy, hitting up Liguria (think fabulous white wines, Cinque Terre, and Portofino) and Venice. We returned for our 10-year anniversary to visit wineries in Tuscany and to explore Rome. Both were amazing, and I can assure you it won’t be another 10 years before we head back… after all, I do have a big birthday coming up!

In the meantime, I make do.  Because if I can’t be in Italy all the time, at least I can drink Italian wines at my leisure.  It’s a compromise, but not a bad one if I do say so myself.  With the weather cold and frightful, I’ve been turning to Chianti to warm me up from the inside out… until I can plant my feet back on Italian ground.

Chianti Classico, which is located in the rolling hills of Tuscany, is so much more than the bottle of wine that sits on the table at your local pizza joint.  It’s earthy and acidic, with the perfect amount of tannins – meaning it’s great with food.  If you want the real deal, look for Chianti Classico – you’ll know it when you see it by the red label featuring a black rooster on the neck of the bottle.  These wines are more refined and are made from the best grapes of the region.

Because Chiantis do tend to have a higher acidity in them due to the high volume of Sangiovese grapes, they tend to pair very well with food, and especially tomatoes. I’m telling you right now, you’ll have a hard time finding a better pairing than a glass of Chianti Classico and a bowl of this risotto-style farro with wild mushrooms and roasted tomatoes. In fact, it sounds so good, I think I’ll skip on organizing my photos. I need a glass of Chianti, this hearty farro, the couch and a travel guide. It’s time to plan my next trip to Italy!

Hearty Risotto Style Farro with Wild Mushrooms & Blistered Tomatoes

Place the farro in a bowl and pour hot water over top, enough to cover the grains by 1 inch.  Let soak for 30 minutes.  Drain the farro and set aside.  While the farro is soaking, place the dried mushrooms in a bowl and also cover with hot water.  Allow to soak for at least 30 minutes.

Drain the mushrooms, in a sieve, ensuring to reserve the mushroom liquid to add to the stock.  Coarsely chop the mushrooms.  Add the mushroom liquid to the stock in a large stockpot and bring to a simmer.  You want to have a total of 6 cups of liquid.  Add additional water if needed.

In a large stockpot or skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add onion and sauté until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add fresh mushrooms and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has been released and evaporates – about 10 to 15 minutes.

Add the farro and reconstituted dried mushrooms. Cook, allowing the farro to absorb any extra liquid and cook until farro makes a light crackling sound.  Pour in wine and stir, loosening any stuck bits from the bottom of the pan.

Once the wine is absorbed, pour in 5 cups of the stock along with the thyme, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce.  Bring to a simmer and cover.  Cook for 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and season the mixture with salt and pepper a few times throughout the cooking process.  If the mixture needs more liquid, add the remaining cup of stock.

When the farro is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, remove from heat.

With about 20 minutes left in the cooking process, toss the tomatoes with a drizzle of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven preheated to 425°F and cook until just bursting. Remove from heat.

Serve farro in bowls, topped with blistered tomatoes and grated cheese if desired.  Enjoy with your favorite glass of Chianti Classico.

Risotto Style Farro with Wild Mushrooms and Blistered Tomatoes

Yield: 4-6 servings

Risotto-Style Farro with Wild Mushrooms and Blistered Tomatoes is best served with a glass of Chianti.  This delicious food and Italian wine pairing is the perfect combo for enjoying on a cold winter night.

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Ingredients

• 1/2 ounce dried mushrooms
• 1 quart mushroom stock (or vegetable stock)
• 1 1/2 cups farro
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 lb. assorted mushrooms, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1/2 cup Italian red wine
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes
• Optional: grated cheese

Instructions

1. Place the farro in a bowl and pour hot water over top, enough to cover the grains by 1 inch.  Let soak for 30 minutes.  Drain the farro and set aside.
2. While the farro is soaking, place the dried mushrooms in a bowl and also cover with hot water.  Allow to soak for at least 30 minutes.
3. Drain the mushrooms, in a sieve, ensuring to reserve the mushroom liquid to add to the stock.  Coarsely chop the mushrooms.  Add the mushroom liquid to the stock in a large stockpot and bring to a simmer.  You want to have a total of 6 cups of liquid.  Add additional water if needed.
4. In a large stockpot or skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add onion and saute until tender, about 3-4 minutes.  Add fresh mushrooms and garlic.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has been released and evaporates - about 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Add the farro and reconstituted dried mushrooms.  Cook, allowing the farro to absorb any extra liquid and cook until farro makes a light crackling sound.  Pour in wine and stir, loosening any stuck bits from the bottom of the pan.
6. Once the wine is absorbed, pour in 5 cups of the stock along with the thyme, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce.  Bring to a simmer and cover.  Cook for 50 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Taste and season the mixture with salt and pepper a few times throughout the cooking process. If the mixture needs more liquid, add the remaining cup of stock.
7. When the farro is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, remove from heat.
8. With about 20 minutes left in the cooking process, toss the tomatoes with a drizzle of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Place in the oven preheated to 425°F and cook until just bursting.  Remove from heat.
9. Serve farro in bowls, topped with blistered tomatoes and grated cheese if desired.  Enjoy with your favorite glass of Chianti Classico.

With as many as possible 3,000 grape varieties, it’s hard to get bored with Italian wines. Beyond enjoying cold evenings with my Chianti and farro, you’ll want to play around with other food and wine pairings!  You can’t go wrong with Vermentino and fresh oysters or Prosecco and popcorn!  Want more inspiration?  Click here to learn more about Italian wines and the foods to pair with them. Don’t forget to enjoy your wine responsibly!

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