Insalata di farro con pomodorini e tonno (farro, tomato, tuna and olive salad)
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Most of the time "farro" refers to emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccum) but einkorn (Triticum monococcum) and spelt (Triticum spelta) are also referred to as "farro".
Today farro is enjoying a renaissance. It is used in soups and salads, particularly in central Italy. Whole farro needs to be soaked in advance and cooked for nearly an hour in order to soften its nutritious husk. Meanwhile pearled farro, which has the outer husk removed along with the fibre and nutrition, cooks quickly. Here is a recipe for one of the most popular farro salads in Italy. The cooked and cooled farro grains are tossed with cherry tomatoes, olives, herbs and tuna and make a great light lunch. One of my favourite things to do when cooking for crowds is to make big platters of lots of different vegetables and seafood as a starter, eliminating any need to work around dietary requirements as they can serve themselves.
Today farro is enjoying a renaissance. It is used in soups and salads, particularly in central Italy. Whole farro needs to be soaked in advance and cooked for nearly an hour in order to soften its nutritious husk. Meanwhile pearled farro, which has the outer husk removed along with the fibre and nutrition, cooks quickly. Here is a recipe for one of the most popular farro salads in Italy. The cooked and cooled farro grains are tossed with cherry tomatoes, olives, herbs and tuna and make a great light lunch. One of my favourite things to do when cooking for crowds is to make big platters of lots of different vegetables and seafood as a starter, eliminating any need to work around dietary requirements as they can serve themselves.
Author: Woo Wei-Duan
Recipe type: Starter (Antipasto)
Cuisine: Inter-regional
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 300 grams farro (pearled emmer wheat)
- 1 lemon, 3 cm of zest cut off and juiced
- 250 grams cherry tomatoes, rinsed and cut in half
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 1 teaspoon fresh marjoram (can use ½ teaspoon dry marjoram)
- 150 gramstinned tuna, preferably packed in olive oil
- 8 green olives, pitted and sliced
- Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
- Sea salt
- Black pepper, freshly ground
Instructions
- Cover the farro with salted water mixed with the lemon zest. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes.
- Drain the farro in a sieve and let it cool.
- Mix herbs, cherry tomatoes, 30 mls olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Let it sit preferably for an hour but if you are in a rush then no need to wait.
- Mix in the farro, tuna and olives.
- Dress with lemon juice and olive oil to taste.
