Farro Risotto with Cauliflower, Mushrooms, and Truffle

Fall is here! As much as I love summer and all of its wonderful produce, I have to admit that I look forward to cooler days, fallen leaves, and that crispness in the air that makes me crave warming meals, red wine, sweaters, and boots. This recipe is a wonderful way to bring in the fall with a healthy and hearty risotto made with farro (a whole-wheat grain) rather than the traditional arborio rice, combined with wild mushrooms, browned cauliflower, and finished with truffle oil. I made it for a small dinner party by sauteing the mushrooms and cauliflower in advance, then making the risotto as we got closer to dinner time and stirring in the mushrooms and cauliflower later. I have to say we all thought it was a wonderful dish (even the guys loved it).

Farro Risotto with Cauliflower, Mushrooms, and Truffle
Serves 4

Active Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour

Extra virgin olive oil
3 c. cauliflower, cut into small, bite-sized florets
5 c. assorted mushrooms (I used king oyster, cremini, and shitake), chopped (if using shitakes make sure to cut the stems off as they can be tough)
4 shallots, minced
1 t. fresh thyme, minced
1 1/2 c. farro
1 c. dry white wine (such as Chardonnay)
4 c. low-sodium vegetable stock
1/4 c. lowfat milk
1 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese
Kosher salt
Black pepper
White truffle oil, for serving

Heat 1 T. olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Saute the cauliflower with a pinch of salt and pepper until softened and browned in places, about 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and set aside.

Heat another 1 T. olive oil in the same skillet over medium high heat, add the mushrooms, a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and set aside with the cauliflower.

When ready to make the risotto, heat 1 T. olive oil in a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat. In another saucepan, heat the vegetable broth until warm, then keep at a simmer. In the saucepan/dutch oven with the olive oil, add the shallot and thyme and saute until shallots are softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the farro and coat with the shallot mixture. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the wine and cook until the liquid is about absorbed, a few minutes. Add 1 c. of the heated vegetable stock at a time, stirring often, until each cup is absorbed, which takes about 20-25 minutes in total.

Add the mushrooms and cauliflower back to the pan, and stir to heat through, about 2 minutes. Add the lowfat milk (farro is less creamy than arborio rice so needs this) and parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Spoon the risotto into pasta bowls, top with a drizzle of truffle oil, and serve.

Romanesco Mac & Cheese

Everyone seems to love baked, golden mac & cheese. While I love it too, I wanted to create a version of macaroni & cheese that was packed with more nutrition and would be good for a weekend night meal, not just a once in a while splurge, while still being delicious and satisfying. I was inspired by these heads of romanesco at the farmer's market, which I thought would be great with the flavors of macaroni & cheese. Romanesco is also called Romanesco broccoli or Roman cauliflower. It looks similiar to cauliflower and tastes more like cauliflower than broccoli but has a beautiful bright green color. Cauliflower would also work great in this recipe if you can't find romanesco. We ate this as a main dish with a side green salad.

Romanesco Mac & Cheese
Serves 4-6

Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

12 oz. elbow macaroni or small fusilli
2 small heads romanesco (approx. 2 lbs with stems on)
3 slices whole wheat bread
Extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 1/2 c. grated gruyere cheese (about 6 oz.)
1 c. light sour cream
1/2 c. lowfat milk
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
Kosher salt
Black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Boil the water for the pasta and cook the pasta until al dente.

Meanwhile, remove the stems from the romanesco, wash throroughly, and cut into small florets. Pulse the bread in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. Add 1 T. olive oil and 1/4 t. each kosher salt and pepper and pulse to combine. Additionally, in a small saucepan, heat 1 T. olive oil over medium heat and saute the onion with a pinch of kosher salt until soft, about 3-5 minutes.

Add the romanesco to the pasta pot for the last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain the pasta and romanesco and put in a large bowl. Add the onions, Gruyere cheese, sour cream, milk, 1 t. kosher salt and 1/4 pepper and stir to combine well.

Transfer the mixture to a large baking dish (oval gratin or rectangular baker), sprinkle with the parmesan cheese, and then coat with the breadcrumbs. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower, Brussel Sprouts, and Walnut Pesto

I love pasta and am always trying to figure out ways to make it more of a one-dish meal with the addition of seasonal vegetables. Roasted cauliflower and brussel sprouts give this pasta substance and character (as well as a healthy boost). When choosing brussel sprouts, look for those that are smaller in size and firm when squeezed. This was my first shot at a walnut pesto - I am always looking for different pasta sauces that aren't tomato-based, just to mix things up, and we loved it. I like using chunks of parmesan and adding it to the food processor when making pesto rather than adding grated parmesan cheese - it gives the pesto more texture (a tip from my sister). If you end up with extra pesto, you can store it in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for at least a month.

Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower, Brussel Sprouts, and Walnut Pesto
Serves 4

Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

1 small head cauliflower (1 1/2 - 2 lbs), stem and core removed and cut into small florets
1 lb. brussel sprouts, cut into quarters (or halves for very small ones)
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 t. kosher salt
1/4 t. black pepper
12 oz. whole-wheat linguine

1 c. walnuts
1/2 c. parmesan cheese, cut into small chunks
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/2 c. pasta water, reserved

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Place the cauliflower and brussel sprouts into a roasting pan or baking sheet. Add 1 T. olive oil and toss to coat. Add 1 t. kosher salt and 1/4 t. pepper and toss again. Roast for 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the walnuts and parmesan cheese wedges in a food processor. Turn on the processor and after a few seconds, start adding the olive oil steadily. Stop when the walnuts and parmesan are in small pieces but not too finely ground (a few more seconds).

Start a pot of boiling water and cook the pasta until al dente, reserving 1/2 c. of the pasta water.

Remove the vegetables from the oven when they are ready. In a large bowl, add the pasta and 1/2 of the pesto as well as about 1/4 c. of the pasta water and stir well to combine. Add the vegetables and as much additional pesto as you'd like (we used it all) and more pasta water to help the pesto combine with the pasta and vegetables.

Enjoy! This also was delicious reheated the next day.