Can we have this every night? It’s that good! As with many of my favorite recipes, this one originated at Smitten Kitchen. I rarely tweak anything from that site — Deb Perelman is just that brilliant — but here I opted for broccolini rather than broccoli. It’s a bit sweeter, and the stems are more tender. Otherwise, it’s mostly as she wrote the original. I’ve rewritten it for two servings, since that’s usually all we need, but the photos are a double batch. You are going to love this!

I’ve been using Bob’s Red Mill farro lately, as it’s been the easiest to find. That changes with the wind, depending on where I happen to be shopping. I like it because it’s still got enough of the bran to qualify as a whole grain, but it has enough removed that it doesn’t take forever to cook. Any brand that’s semi-pearled will be similar. Check the instructions on your farro package and adjust the cooking time accordingly. 

You’ll find a printer-friendly version of the recipe at the bottom of this page.

Ingredients:

½ pound broccolini

½ cup farro

1 lemon

2 small or 1 large clove garlic

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

⅛ tsp crushed red pepper (a.k.a. “crushers”)

½ tsp kosher salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 oz. freshly grated Romano cheese

Preparation:

1.) Heat a medium pot of water to boiling. Drop in the washed broccolini, and cook just 2 minutes. Fish the broccolini out of the water, leaving the water in the pot, and drain.

2.) Now add the farro to the boiling water. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes (or whatever your brand of farro recommends).

3.) While the farro cooks, Pat the drained broccolini dry with paper towels.

4.) Grate the zest from one end of the lemon, then cut the lemon in half. Squeeze the juice from the zested half, reserving the other half for another use.

5.) Chop the broccolini into ½-inch pieces.

6.) Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the minced garlic and the crushers. Cook a minute or so, until the garlic is fragrant and just starting to turn golden.

7.) Add the broccolini, lemon zest, and salt. Cook just a couple more minutes, stirring frequently, until broccolini is nicely coated and a little more tender. Be careful not to overcook; it should retain a hint of crispness.

8.) When the farro is done, drain it and transfer to a serving bowl. Add the broccolini mixture, scraping the pan well to get all the yummy oil and garlic. Stir in the lemon juice and black pepper. Mix well.

9.) Stir in the cheese, reserving a little to sprinkle on top.