- 4 cups water
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup farro
- ½ cup vegetable or chicken stock, or a bit more for a soupier dish
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or 1 tablespoon each olive oil and unsalted butter
- ½ small onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
- ½ cup cubed, peeled butternut squash (½-inch cubes), boiled until al dente
- 4 or 5 cooked chestnuts, cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the salt and then the farro, stir, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the grains are soft but still have some firmness at the center. Start checking for doneness after 20 minutes. If not all of the water has been absorbed, simply drain the cooked farro in a sieve. Set aside 1 cup cooked farro, or a bit more for a heartier dish, and then cover and refrigerate the remainder for another dish such as soup or salad.
- Pour the stock into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, in a deep sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sage and sauté until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the farro, squash, chestnuts, and the hot stock. Stir gently and simmer over low heat until the farro, squash, and chestnuts are heated through and some of the stock has been absorbed, just a few minutes. Stir in the 2 tablespoons butter, season to taste with salt and pepper, and spoon into a warmed bowl.