We got back from Puerto Rico late Thursday night which gave us the weekend to get back into the routine of life. Which is easier said than done when returning from vacation. Your body wants to remain on vacation but your brain starts checking off all the things that need to be done. One of those things was restocking the pantry and refrigerator. While I was accessing our pantry I found an acorn squash that I bought before we left. Since it’s a new year and my system is in need of a reboot after eating my way through Puerto Rico I thought I do something healthy.
I’ve been wanting to play with farro for awhile. What is farro? It’s a grain from farro-way…get it? I’m sorry I couldn’t resist. But, it is. It’s the grain of Italy; a hearty wheat grain cooked similar to rice and has a toothsome texture. Have you ever tried farro? I love farro! It’s chewy texture, and nutty flavor makes it perfect for hearty soups and salads. It can also be used in place of rice to make farrotto, a variation of risotto.
This is most definitely a main dish salad. Full of all types of filling deliciousness like roasted acorn squash, roasted onion, cranberries, kale and my favorite sweet apple chicken sausage. This sausage is absolutely a perfect pairing with this salad. It’s packed full of sweet, nutty and savory notes. Everything that makes this girl happy!
Toasted Farro with Acorn Squash, Kale and Chicken Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 cup farro
- 1 small acorn squash, about 1 lb
- 1 medium red onion, quartered and halved
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 chicken sweet apple sausages
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 2 cups chopped kale
- 1/4 cup cranberries
Instructions
- In a saucepan, cover the farro with water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over moderate heat until just tender, 12 minutes. Drain and transfer to a medium bowl. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes, until chilled.
- Heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Cut acorn squash in half and using a spoon remove the center pulp and seeds. Slice the squash along its natural segments. Peel using a vegetable peeler. Toss squash and onions with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven until browned and tender, turning one, about 30 minutes. Set aside.
- In a skillet, heat the vegetable oil, add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the farro in an even layer and cook over high heat, stirring once, until toasted, about 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl.
- In the same skillet melt 2 tablespoons of butter, add the sausages and cook until browned. Add wine to deglaze the pan, scraping all the brown bits at the bottom. Add kale and cranberries, cover to allow the kale to wilt, about 2 minutes.
- Toss sausage mixture and roasted vegetables with farro and serve.
These toasted farro with acorn squash, kale and chicken sausage are stunning. I’m not a talented baker, but I would love to give these a try!
This was fantastic!! We roasted our squash and onions quite a bit longer because we like it soft, 45 minutes to an hour. Added a little fresh sage too. Absolutely loved it! Put a big star on top of the recipe and will file under favorites. Made a double batch, and it was enough for 4 hungry adults, plus another round for leftovers tomorrow.
This was a great fall recipe! Ended up roasting the cranberries in the oven the last 5 minutes with the veggies and used a kale/spinach/chard mix. Delicious!
This looks so hearty and healthy! I really need to give farro a try.
I wish we lived near each other. I also love shopping when it’s quiet. And I’m a huge movie buff but hate going solo.
This recipe is flipping ridiculously amazing. I want to gobble it all up.
I have never tried farro – after seeing this salad, I need to change that ASAP – looks scrumptious!
This looks perfect for Fall! Love this!
I love everything ingredient you used in this dish, such a perfect fall recipe!
This is definitely my kind of fall dish! I love it!
I love salads that can be the main course…this looks yummy!! Great idea for a salad.
YUM! What a healthy and delicious meal!
This is a very colorful and beautiful dish! I bet it tastes as good as it looks!
This is my favorite type of meal! All in one, healthy, and packed with flavor!
Also, we just moved and have been living in furniture stores. Torture is right. Hang in there!