We enjoyed a lovely Labor Day weekend — I hope you did too. We fit in beach time, family time, a bit of yoga, and our annual block party. The warm weather and break from “labor” made me wish summer would linger a little longer. As I mentioned in my gazpacho post, I’m clinging to summer tomatoes for as long as I can. This may be my last tomato-forward recipe of the season, so I’m sharing a real keeper.
This dish was inspired by Deb at Smitten Kitchen, who adapted it from Gourmet magazine. The original called for Israeli (pearl) couscous, but I swapped in farro for a heartier, more whole-grain option. The star of the dish is the silky roasted tomato dressing made from slow-roasted cherry tomatoes — a perfect match for the grains and roasted vegetables. If you love tomatoes, this one’s for you.
The recipe does take time because the cherry tomatoes roast slowly. You’ll need to halve, arrange, and roast them for about an hour, but the prep itself — washing, halving, and seasoning — only takes a few minutes. I often do that while watching a show. The slow roasting concentrates the tomato flavor and makes the dressing irresistible.
A little extra effort pays off here. I taught this recipe in classes last year and again this July, and each time people raved about the dressing and the balance of roasted vegetables and chewy farro. Recently I experimented by cutting the farro in half and adding more roasted vegetables — the result was even better. If you like roasted vegetable salads with bold tomato flavor, this version is worth trying.
The finished salad is bright and satisfying. It’s great warm or at room temperature, which makes it a reliable potluck dish. The combination of briny Kalamata olives, fresh herbs, roasted zucchini and asparagus, chewy farro, and that roasted tomato dressing creates a layered, savory-sweet profile that keeps people coming back for more.
Recipe: Farro with Roasted Vegetables and Roasted Tomato Dressing
Farro with Roasted Vegetables and Roasted Tomato Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes, about 1 ½ pounds
- 6 small-medium garlic cloves, unpeeled
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for vegetables
- ¼ cup warm water
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more for vegetables
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for vegetables
- 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
- 5-6 medium zucchini
- 1 cup farro
- Kosher salt
- ½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250°F (120°C). Halve the cherry tomatoes through the stem end and place them cut-side up in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Add the unpeeled garlic cloves to the pan. Roast for about 1 hour, until the tomatoes are slightly shriveled at the edges. Let cool in the pan for 30 minutes.
- Peel the roasted garlic and combine it in a blender with ¼ cup olive oil, ¼ cup warm water, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon sea salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and ½ cup of the roasted tomatoes. Blend until very smooth to make the dressing.
- Increase the oven temperature to 400°F (200°C). Arrange the asparagus on a baking sheet, drizzle with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Chop the zucchini into 1-inch cubes, toss with olive oil, and spread in a single layer on another baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Roast the asparagus about 12 minutes, until tender. Roast the zucchini about 35 minutes, until caramelized. Chop the asparagus into 1-inch pieces.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add several generous pinches of kosher salt and the farro. Cook until tender but still slightly al dente, about 20–25 minutes. Drain thoroughly and transfer the farro to a serving bowl.
- Add the chopped olives, the remaining roasted tomatoes, asparagus, zucchini, parsley, basil, thyme (if using), and the roasted tomato dressing to the farro. Toss gently to combine, taste, and adjust seasoning. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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