feliciat02: Baked Farro Pasta

I thought we'd close out the year with a hearty, rustic, warm-you-from-the-inside baked casserole. It's a cold weather crowd-pleaser made of alternating layers of broken farro pasta, sliced potatoes, two cheeses, and mustardy shredded cabbage. The sort of thing you can prep a day or two ahead of time, then bake when convenient. I suspect you might be able to tell from the photo - its the sort of food that pairs magnificently with a pint and a stormy night.

Baked Farro Pasta Recipe

Let's break it down a bit. One of the things that works for me here is the play between the starchiness of the pasta/potatoes and the bite of the mustard. You can, of course, adjust the amount of mustard to your liking if you make this more than once. The amount I use here is straight up the middle - it comes across as neither meek or assertive once the casserole is baked. But keep in mind, the type of mustard you will also be a factor. I guess what I'm trying to say - feel free to adjust to your tastes.

Baked Farro Pasta Recipe

Like most casseroles or lasagnas, you'll have a bit of a project on your hands, but in the end there's lots of food to enjoy. It took the two of us the better part of a week to finish it off. If you have kids, I imagine a version with a blend of whole wheat/regular macaroni elbows could be a more kid-friendly version. The original idea for the recipe actually came from a buckwheat casserole I came across while flipping through in The Martha Stewart Living Christmas Cookbook. She used a buckwheat pizzoccheri and savoy cabbage. The premise is brilliant and there are a thousand ways you can mix it up. Another alternative I've been thinking of...for those of you with The Essential New York Times Cookbook....I made the Brussels Sprouts "Slaw" with Mustard Butter the other night. I can imagine using that in place of the cabbage here if you're more of a sprout fan, or if that is what you happen to have on hand.

I'm spending the next few days looking after my nephew. Hopefully we'll have some adventures to share with you - today involved hot chocolate, buffalo spotting, and the beach. Enjoy the last of the holiday season - I'm certainly looking forward to a fresh year of recipes and stories with all of you. I've got a fantastically good noodle soup to share with you when we kick off the new year. xo -h

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