Farro & Heirloom Tomatoes

15 minutes prep, 35 minutes cook

Serves 4

Ingredients

250g farro, preferably wholegrain and pre-soaked for 8 hours

Few sprigs of fresh rosemary

300g heirloom cherry tomatoes of different colours, halved or quartered according to size

2 red onions, quartered

Rapeseed or olive oil

2 handfuls of toasted pine nuts

400g can cannellini beans

100g black olives, pitted

Bunch of mixed fresh herbs, e.g. red purple basil, parsley and mint, chopped

Salt and pepper

For the balsamic dressing:

80ml rapeseed or extra virgin olive oil

3 tbsps lemon juice

1 garlic clove, finely chopped to a paste

3 tbsps balsamic vinegar

Pinch of salt and pepper

To serve:

Burrata or Mozzarella

Fresh basil

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6 and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Heat a large saucepan over a medium–high heat and toast the farro, stirringc onstantly, for 4–5 minutes. Add 1 litre of water with a good pinch of salt and the rosemary and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and let it simmer for 40 minutes if using wholegrain pre-soaked farro. Presoaked semipearled farro cooks in 20–25 minutes and pearled farro cooks in 15 minutes with no soaking needed.

Taste the farro. It should have a good bite, but not be too mushy. Remove the rosemary and drain the farro well. Spread onto a clean tea towel and let it dry for 10–15 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the tomatoes on the lined tray, cut-side up, with the onion. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt and roast for 25 minutes. Whisk together the dressing ingredients and set aside.

In a pan, toast the pine nuts, without oil, until fragrant. Rinse and drain the cannellini beans and pat dry with kitchen paper. Put the beans, dried farro, roasted tomatoes and onions, olives and herbs in a bowl and mix well. Drizzle with the balsamic dressing. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve in bowls topped with creamy pieces of Burrata and fresh basil.