Farro with Pesto and Zucchini

I made this recipe for a delightful summer garden lunch with friends, and it was such a hit! I served it with a gorgeous cilantro lime shrimp salad with avocado and asparagus, seared tomato bruschetta, and a peach raspberry crisp for dessert! The basil pesto and tomato bruschetta especially complemented each other.

I love make-ahead side dishes for lunches with friends and family. I also love when they’re served cold! I can make everything a day ahead, and simply remove it from the Tupperware and serve! This pesto farro can be made a whole day ahead, and it will taste just as fresh as the day before.

An important note: Don’t substitute store-bought pesto. Oh please, oh please! It will be more oily and likely full of preservatives. Most store-bought pestos are nothing you want to mix into a recipe like this. You want it to taste like it came fresh out of the garden, and believe me, it won’t if that pesto isn’t homemade.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s both filling and light – Farro is a nice, hearty grain so it’s perfectly filling, but the flavors are light, simple and fresh.

It serves a crowd – A little farro goes a long way. Just 1 cup of farro is all this recipe calls for, and you can easily serve between 6-8 people!

It pairs beautifully with so many main courses – It’s such a perfect complementary side dish! Pair it with just about any chicken, fish, steak or pork dish! Any protein, seasoned with nothing more than an Italian seasoning or garden herb, would be a perfect match for this side!

The Process

First, we’ll boil the farro and place it in the fridge to cool for an hour.

Next, We’ll slice and sauté the zucchini and shallots, and microwave the corn (it can also be grilled or boiled if you prefer).

Then, we’ll put all the veggies in the fridge to cool.

Finally, we’ll make fresh pesto and mix it into the farro with all the veggies and serve.

Ingredient Notes

basil – The freshest you can find. You’ll require 1 cup (½ cup packed) basil leaves for the pesto.

corn – I used fresh corn on the cob, but you can also use canned. Just be sure to wash and drain before adding.

pepitas – I like pepitas (pumpkin seeds) in my pesto. They’re less expensive than pine nuts but taste just as lovely. They also make my pesto recipes even greener. But you can certainly use traditional pine nuts, or even pistachios, almonds or cashews.

cherry tomatoes – These are optional. There is plenty of flavor in the recipe as is, but I just love the bright yellow color of a few freshly sliced cherry tomatoes popped into the farro.

parmesan – Use only freshly grated parmesan.

white balsamic vinegar – Don’t substitute with dark balsamic vinegar. Even though it will taste yummy, it will look pretty unappetizing.

pearled farro – Farro is almost always “pearled” in the United States. That means the bran has been removed so it requires less cook time, but if you find non-pearled farro, feel free to use it. It will just likely take longer to cook.

shallots – Shallots taste similar to onion, but they’re milder and a little sweeter. If you’d like a stronger “oniony” flavor, substitute with a small red onion.

squash – I used yellow squash because the color stands out in a pretty way, but you can use green as well.

How to Make This Recipe – Step by Step

1. Boil 2 cups water, and add 1 cup farro. Place a vented lid on top and simmer on LOW for 20-25 minutes. (Check your brand’s instructions to see if they differ).

2. Place cooked farro in a container. Add 1 tbsp. olive oil and stir. Place a lid on top and refrigerate for 1 hour.

1. Slice 1 yellow zucchini into ½-inch slices. Slice larger slices into quarters and smaller slices into halves. 

2. Thinly slice 3 shallots.

3. Add 1 tbsp. olive oil to a sauté pan and sauté zucchini for 7 minutes, or until seared on one side. Flip, sprinkle with a small shake of garlic powder, salt, and pepper, and sauté for 1-2 minutes more. Remove into a container (separate from the farro container).

4. Add 1 tbsp. olive oil to the pan, and sauté sliced shallots until lightly brown. About 5-7 minutes. Remove into the container with zucchini.

5. Place 1 corn on the cob into a microwave with the husk still on. Microwave for 4 minutes. You can also boil it for 2-3 minutes, or grill for 15-20 minutes.

6. Carefully remove corn (it will be hot!), and peel husk. I peel the husk down, but don’t remove it so I can use it as a “handle” when slicing kernels.

7. Slice kernels off the cob into a bowl.

8. Add corn to the container with zucchini and shallots, place a lid on top and refrigerate for 1 hour.

9. Remove leaves from 1 bunch of basil. You should have 1 cup of leaves (½ cup packed).

10. Into a food processor, add basil leaves, 3 tbsp. pepitas, ½ cup grated parmesan, 4 tbsp. olive oil and 2 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar. Purée until almost creamy. At least 30 seconds. You should have about ⅔ cup pesto.

11. Remove cooled farro and fluff with a mixing spoon. Add pesto (without vegetables), and stir until thoroughly mixed. 

12. Gently add cooled vegetables and stir to combine. Add to a serving bowl and pop a few sliced cherry tomatoes on top to make it pretty.

A Helpful Tip

If you’re making this a day ahead, you may want to add a sprinkle of white balsamic before serving. The brightness of the vinegar fades a little over time, and another nice sprinkle will liven it up again.