Hearty, lemony and fresh as Spring, this Creamy Farro with Pesto Asparagus and Peas recipe can be served warm or chilled. Like this Lemon Garlic Orzo and my Asparagus and Pea Macaroni Salad, this recipe celebrates flavors of spring! This recipe is vegetarian and easily vegan.
Creamy Pesto Farro for Spring!
The Garlic Scape Pesto (and now, Vegan Garlic Scape Pesto) I want to put it in/on everything. So far, I’ve put it on Sourdough Pizza, Gluten Free Pizza, Vegetarian Lasagna and now in this Creamy, Lemony Farro with Pesto, Asparagus, and Peas recipe.
When garlic scapes are out of season and basil replaces its bounty, give my homemade Lemon Basil Pesto a go in this recipe.
This Recipe Is:
- Share Warm or Chilled
- Versatile as a Main or Side Dish
- Simple and Easy to Make
Why Local, Seasonal Eating Matters
The personal benefits of buying direct from farms are many. However, supporting sustainable agriculture reaches far beyond personal benefit alone.
The scapes from last week’s pesto recipe were grown by the farmers of Prairie Bottom. This is a farm Rob and I purchase our CSA share from. Below, I’m sharing my top 10 reasons to support local, sustainable agriculture, whenever possible.
—– Top 10 Reasons To Buy Local, Sustainable Food —-
1. Fresh produce lose nutrients quickly. Buying direct ensures fresher and tastier produce because the produce is ripe when picked. Although some produce naturally ripens after being picked, others must be picked before ripening due to the distance traveled between grower and retailer. Also, to control when ripening occurs, some produce is gassed to force ripening.
2. Knowing where our food comes from and how it is grown builds connection with farmers and surrounding community (think farmers markets).
3. Buying direct from small farms supports land preservation and open spaces.
4. Money spent on food goes directly to the farmer, thereby cutting out the middleman.
5. A variety of vegetables are planted on small farms as opposed to monoculture plantings (like corn or palm oil). Variety supports diversity of beneficial insects, pollinators and soil diversity.
6. Sustainable agriculture supports populations of pollinators, such as bees, by not relying on herbicides or pesticides for pest management. Bees are in sharp decline, something we all need to be concerned about because they are an indicator species; an indicator of the overall state of our environment. Bees are also responsible for one out of every three bites we eat. We know pesticides are a major factor in their decline. At Prairie Bottom Farm, weeds are hand-pulled and they use organic methods for pest control, when necessary. No chemical herbicides or pesticides are used.
7. In our industrialized agriculture system, plants are chosen and bred for their ability to withstand heavy handling and farm equipment. This is not the focus of small family farms as harvesting is not mechanized. GMO-free, these farms support seed preservation and heirloom variety plants. This fosters genetic diversity which produces strong, robust plants.
8. Considering the average distance farm to plate is 1500 miles, buying local reduces individual carbon foot-print because the food has a shorter distance to travel from farm-to-plate. This also reduces air pollution.
9. Joining Community Supported Agriculture allows one to access a wide array of food that may not otherwise be chosen, thereby increasing the variety of foods consumed. I had no idea what kohlrabi or garlic scape was until a few years ago.
10. Some CSA farms offer classes on canning, composting, and seed preservation, for example. Also, they may provide unique opportunities to do a bit of work on the farm, like cleaning garlic when the crop comes in, and shelling beans. Prairie Bottom holds an annual Farm Feast for its shareholders! This is another way to connect with neighbors and foster community connections.
Expert Tips
- To find the closest farm or farmers market to you, visit Local Harvest.
- Asparagus: Look for medium size asparagus spears with the tips tightly closed and no signs of flowering or wilting. Individual asparagus should be plump, firm to the touch and with smooth skin.
- How Long to Cook: The asparagus and peas will cook together in this recipe. Be sure to set a timer and watch closely as you want the asparagus to be tender-crisp, or still have a tooth. Overcooked and they’ll become mushy.
More Asparagus Recipes to Try
- Roasted Asparagus on Avocado Toast
- Grilled Asparagus Wrap
- Lemon Garlic Orzo with Roasted Veggies
- Lemon Dijon Asparagus and Pea Macaroni Salad
Creamy Farro with Pesto Asparagus and Peas Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 C Farro, 250g
- 3 1/2 C Water, 795g
- 4 Tbs Pesto* (for vegan option, see note), I use garlic scape pesto, but your favorite pesto will be delicious! 66g
- 3 Tbs Fresh Curly Parsley, finely chopped and divided
- 1 Lemon, zested and juiced, divided
- 1/2 tsp + 1/4 tsp Sea Salt, divided
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper, ground, divided
- 1 lb Fresh Asparagus, cut into 1" pieces, woody ends discarded, 454g
- 1 C Peas, shelled if fresh, (fresh or frozen will work here), 136g
- 2 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 28g
- 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 Tbs Fresh Chives, finely chopped
- Chive Flowers, if available
Instructions
- Rinse the Farro under running water. In a medium saucepan add the Farro and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. It will begin to thicken and become creamy.
- To the cooked Farro, stir in the pesto, 2 Tbs of parsley, 1/2 the lemon zest and juice, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper. Stir well, taste for seasoning adjustment and set aside with lid on to keep warm.
- For the veggies, fill a medium sauce pot or saute' pan with about 1/8" of water. Heat until little boiling bubbles appear around the edge of the pan. Turn heat to medium-low. Toss in the asparagus and peas. Give the pan a good shake, put a lid on it and set a timer for 4 minutes. The veggies will steam during this time and become tender-crisp. Drain immediately. Sprinkle veggies with 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, olive oil, red pepper flakes, and remaining lemon zest and juice. Give it a good stir. Taste for seasoning adjustment.
- To plate, serve the veggies on top of the Farro, garnish with remaining parsley, chives and chive flowers. Serve warm, or chilled.
- Refrigerate leftovers in the fridge for up to two days.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
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I’ve made this recipe twice and it was so good both times! We love it and will continue to make it! I did add fresh spinach this time and I brown the veggies rather than steam them. So healthy and delicious!
I’m new to weighing ingredients, but does 3.5 cup water really weigh in at 560g? Mine is weighing a lot more.
I’m gonna go with 3.5C and hope for the best. Looks delicious.
Hi Lora! Thanks for catching that. You’re right! 3.5 cups of water is 795 grams! I hope you enjoy the recipe.
This is one of my new favorite dishes. The flavors are bright, fresh and creamy. I combined the lemon pesto (made with walnuts) with the farro. I’ve made this a handful of times for others and it’s always a hit.
Creamy Farro was delicious. So much flavor! Definitely make again. Ty
This was really yummy. I divided it into a couple of servings for lunches over the week, and added sundried tomatoes to some. Great with and without.
Yum!!! made this last night … Delicious!!! Wine-worthy!!! Will add to my Favorites file : )
Hooray, Hooray! So happy to hear Bernadette! Thank you for your note.
Thanks dear for sharing another healthy recipe. Love the presentation.. :)
Your welcome, Sneha! I hope you enjoy it! :D