Baked Farro and Butternut Squash

I picked up a beautiful butternut squash at Highland Orchards, big enough for 2 meals. For the first, I made Ina Garten’s Baked Farro & Butternut Squash. Of course, I was out of farro, so it was really red wheat berries and butternut squash, but that didn’t matter, it was delicious!

The taste, the texture, it was perfect. It is a definite keeper!

Baked Farro and Butternut Squash

Ina Garten

6 slices smoked beef bacon (she used applewood smoked bacon)

2 tablespoons good olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups pearled farro (or red wheat berries)

3 cups good chicken stock

3 cups (3/4-to-1-inch-diced) peeled butternut squash (from Highland Orchards)

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the bacon on a baking rack set on a sheet pan and bake it for 15 to 20 minutes, until browned. Cut the bacon in very large dice.

Meanwhile, in a 9-inch Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until tender and starting to brown. Add the thyme, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and cook for 1 minute.

Add the farro and chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Place the squash on top of the farro mixture, cover, and bake in the same oven with the bacon for 30 minutes, until the squash and farro are tender. Check once during cooking and add a little chicken stock if it’s dry. Sprinkle the bacon and parmesan on the squash and farro.