Farro

By Ali Slagle

Updated Oct. 12, 2023

Farro
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
30 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes (or up to 1 hour, if using whole farro)
Rating
4(98)
Notes
Read community notes

Farro is a catchall for three wheat species and can come with the bran attached (whole farro) or with some removed (semi-pearled) or fully removed (pearled farro). This method works for all three options. You can skip precise water-to-grain ratios and cook farro like pasta in a pot of salted, boiling water. Cook it until it’s al dente, drain, then add to soups, salads, grain bowls and so much more for nutty flavor and a chewy bite.

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Ingredients

Yield:2 cups
  • Salt
  • 1cup whole, semi-pearled or pearled farro (see Tip)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

147 calories; 1 gram fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 31 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 101 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Fill a saucepan three-quarters of the way with water, salt generously and bring to a boil.

  2. Step 2

    Add the farro to the boiling water, decrease heat to maintain a simmer and cook until tender but still chewy, with a similar texture to al dente pasta, 15 to 20 minutes for pearled, 20 to 25 minutes for semi-pearled and 50 to 60 minutes for whole. (Timing can vary widely across brands because pearling isn’t standardized, so tasting is the best way to see if the farro is done.)

  3. Step 3

    Rinse under cold water to remove exterior starch. If using the farro cold for salads, spread it out on a baking sheet to cool to help prevent clumping. Cooked farro will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. To freeze, place the sheet pan of cooled farro in the freezer; once firm, transfer farro to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

Tip
  • Read your package of farro to see what type you’re using. Quick-cooking pearled farro has soft, rounded edges and is widely available in grocery stores. Whole farro is darker, with pointy edges, and takes longer to cook; you can boil it straight, or soak it overnight then simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Semi-pearled farro lies somewhere in between, and doesn't require soaking.

Ratings

4 out of 5
98 user ratings
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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Antonia

I was recently in Italy and had the most delicious farro salad. It had tomatoes, zucchini and red onions with oil and vinegar. Delicious. When I got home I bought farro and made the dish. Didn’t know you can freeze it. Thank you NYT cooking.

Ron

I first came across farro in my grocery store with the different brands and types risotto rice. This recipe doesn't specifically mention it but the farro is Italian, which might make it easier to find. Depending on the size it's actually einkorn, emmer or spelt. Spelt is the most commonly available near me. I've used it to make something similar to a risotto, but it does not behave at all like arborio or carnaroli. I've used hard red wheat as a substitute for farro and it was quite similar.

Chris from Florence

Cooking farro in the pressure cooker saves water, energy and time. Ten minutes or less , depending

bippy

I like to toast it in a dry pan for a few minutes before cooking. It brings out the flavor.

BrooklynDF

Started using farro a few years ago in salads, and now it's hands-down my wife's favorite add-in grain. As with the salad in Antonia's note, a vinaigrette seems to be the best dressing. My main note: don't believe the timing on the package, and do what the NYT recipe says: taste it to see if it's ready. You might like it more al dente or softer than other folks. Up to you: farro is very forgiving, so 5 minutes more or less won't ruin it!

Guy Walker

Charlie Bird's Salad. https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015843-charlie-birds-farro-salad?ds_c=71700000052595478&gclid=Cj0KCQjwu-KiBhCsARIs magnificent

Jeff

I've read that farro fed the Roman army. Ancient grain indeed.

Fulan

I was just given a rice cooker. Can I cook Farro in that? Thank you.

Diana

Fulan - I tried cooking farro in my rice cooker last night and it came out too moist and gloppy, even though I had followed the package's farro/rice ratio. I'm looking at other farro recipes today so I can try to perfect my farro cooking.

Suzanne

I like farro well enough in a pinch but far prefer its cousin spelt, which doesn't get as soft and mushy as farro. I find spelt much more satisfying and pleasant to eat in just about everything that calls for farro but especially for salads and other dishes in which a grain can absorb more liquid. You can toast dry farro before boiling to get a textural result similar to spelt that is only boiled. But I recommend just going for spelt in the first place.

Julia Felix

Farro is "the food that fed the Roman Legions". And, it's delicious!

Ron

I first came across farro in my grocery store with the different brands and types risotto rice. This recipe doesn't specifically mention it but the farro is Italian, which might make it easier to find. Depending on the size it's actually einkorn, emmer or spelt. Spelt is the most commonly available near me. I've used it to make something similar to a risotto, but it does not behave at all like arborio or carnaroli. I've used hard red wheat as a substitute for farro and it was quite similar.

Quirky

These are not all the same grains and don't cook the same way. Farro can be used as a general term to describe all three. Farro and emmer are often used as common names for the same grain, Triticum dicoccum, also called farro medio. Spelt, Triticum spelta, is also called farro grande. Einkorn, Triticum monococcum, is also called farro piccolo. I think the farro recipes in Cooking are generally using emmer/faro medio/Triticum dicoccum.

AnneG

Does anyone have a good source for whole unpearled farro, either in San Francisco or online?

Lorrie

Try Rainbow and Berkeley Bowl.

KT

Last time I looked at Berkeley Bowl West for farro, they only had pearled. I just had to adapt cooking time. I have also found unpearled at The Food Mill in Oakland on MacArthur Blvd.

Elizabeth

Anson Mills

Antonia

I was recently in Italy and had the most delicious farro salad. It had tomatoes, zucchini and red onions with oil and vinegar. Delicious. When I got home I bought farro and made the dish. Didn’t know you can freeze it. Thank you NYT cooking.

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