Lemony Farro Pasta Salad With Goat Cheese And Mint Food

LEMONY FARRO PASTA SALAD WITH GOAT CHEESE AND MINT

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add farro and bay leaves and let simmer for 15 minutes. Add orzo to the pot and continue to simmer until farro and pasta are cooked through but still al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes longer.
• While farro is cooking, prepare the dressing: Finely grate zest from the lemons, and place zest in a large bowl. Squeeze juice from 1 1/2 lemons and add to zest along with salt, pepper and red-pepper flakes, whisking to combine. Gradually whisk in oil. Taste and add more salt or lemon juice from the other lemon half, or both, if needed.
• Drain farro-pasta mixture, discarding bay leaves. Add to bowl with dressing and toss well. Stir in apricots. Let farro and pasta cool, soaking up the dressing. This can be done up to 1 day in advance. Store in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before proceeding.
• In a small bowl, combine onions, celery, 3 tablespoons lemon juice and a large pinch of salt. Let sit while the pasta cools, at least 20 minutes.
• Just before serving, add onion mixture and almonds to the bowl with the farro and pasta and toss well. Gently fold in spinach, goat cheese, mint and parsley. Taste and add more lemon, red-pepper flakes or salt if needed.
• Drizzle with olive oil and freshly ground black pepper before serving.

FARRO, ROASTED BEET AND GOAT CHEESE SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Cut the greens off the beets and slice them into 1/2-inch pieces; reserve. Trim and discard the beet stems. Combine the beets, 2 tablespoons of the oil, 1 teaspoon salt, some pepper, 5 of the thyme sprigs and the garlic cloves on a baking sheet. Cover with foil and roast for 30 to 35 minutes, until easily pierced with a paring knife. Set aside to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, toast the pistachios in the oven for 5 minutes. Let cool.
• Melt the butter in a medium saucepan or lidded deep skillet over medium heat. Add the farro and toast for 2 minutes--the color will darken slightly and the farro will acquire a nutty fragrance. Add 2 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt and the remaining 5 thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 25 minutes, or until al dente (cooked but still firm to the bite). Drain the farro well and pour into a serving bowl.
• While the farro is still hot, add the beet greens, tossing to allow the heat to wilt the greens. Set aside to cool completely.
• With a paper towel, remove the skins from the beets. Quarter the beets and add them to the bowl with the farro. Fold in the toasted pistachios.
• Squeeze the roasted garlic into a small bowl. Mash with a fork and season with salt and pepper. Add the vinegar and then whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Adjust the seasoning as desired.
• Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine. Top with the crumbled goat cheese.

LEMONY PASTA WITH GOAT CHEESE AND SPINACH

Steps:

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 2 cups pasta water, then drain.
• In pot, stir together goat cheese and 1 cup pasta water over medium. Add pasta, spinach, parsley, cilantro, lemon zest and juice, and more pasta water if necessary to create a light sauce that coats pasta; season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with walnuts and serve.

FARRO, PEA SHOOT, AND GOAT CHEESE SALAD

Steps:

• Cook farro, according to package directions and let cool to room temperature. Transfer to a large bowl.
• As farro cooks, bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Add peas and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain and run under cold water.
• Add peas, pea shoots, mint, almonds, and lemon zest to farro. Toss with lemon juice and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Top with goat cheese.