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1
Preheat a grill pan or outdoor grill to medium-high heat.
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2
Toss the vegetables in olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
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3
Add them to the grill, turning every 34 minutes.
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4
Cook eggplant for a total of about 1012 minutes, the zucchini for 1215 minutes and the pepper for 1416 minutes, or until charred and softened.
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5
Seal the grilled pepper in a paper bag for 1012 minutes to allow it to steam and cook all the way through.
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6
Remove and discard the stem and seeds.
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7
Chop all the vegetables into 3/4 inch pieces, and set aside.
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8
While the grill preheats, bring a large pot of water to a boil.
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9
Fill a medium-sized bowl with ice and cold water.
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Place herbs in a sieve and dunk in the boiling water for about 5 seconds, holding down herbs with a rubber spatula.
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11
Shock in the ice water bath.
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You may skip this step; however, blanching and shocking the herbs prevents the pesto from browning as quickly, which is especially important if youre planning to have leftovers.
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13
Using the same pot, season the water generously with salt, add farro and boil for about 15 minutes, or until al dente.
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14
Drain and set aside.
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15
While the farro and vegetables cook, prepare the pesto.
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16
Remove herbs from the ice water bath and pat dry.
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17
In a food processor or blender, combine the almonds and garlic, and pulse until finely ground.
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Add herbs and process until finely chopped.
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19
Stir in lemon juice.
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Slowly stream in olive oil while blending, until emulsified.
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Add cheese and pulse to combine.
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Season to taste with salt and pepper.
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23
You may also use and mortar and pestle to prepare the pesto.
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24
Toss the farro in the pesto.
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25
Stir in the grilled vegetables.
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26
Check and adjust seasoning, if needed.
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27
Garnish with small basil and mint leaves, and serve with grated cheese.
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28
Serve warm or at room temperature.
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29
Enjoy.
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30
Note: Cooking times vary depending on the type of farro used.
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31
Pearled farro is more processed than semi-pearled farro and thus, has a shorter cooking time.
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32
Semi-pearled varieties may also differ in cooking time.
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33
Hulled farro, which still contains the entire bran, requires the longest cooking time and should be soaked prior to cooking.
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34
Precooked versions also are available and may cook in 10 minutes.