A vegetarian entree that goes together quickly and is special enough for guests.
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Serves 4 / Ingredient tip: Look for farro, a nutty-tasting, hearty wheat grain, in bulk bins or prepackaged. Prep tip: Remove squash from the freezer as you start prepping this dish; it will be just thawed enough to add at the end. Serving tip: Serve piping hot, with a fresh spinach and Gorgonzola salad.
1 cup farro
1 3/4 cups boiling water
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped shallots
24 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup low-sodium vegetable stock
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 ten ounce package diced frozen butternut squash
1/4 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped
1. In a heavy pan with a tight-fitting lid, dry-toast farro over medium-high heat until it starts to look and smell toasted, about 2 minutes. Turn off heat and carefully pour in boiling water. Add a pinch of salt, return to heat, and bring to a simmer. Cover pan and cook until farro is tender but chewy, about 15 minutes. Drain if necessary.
2. Meanwhile, in a large deep pan over medium heat, add oil; add shallots and sauté until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add sliced mushrooms; sprinkle with a pinch of salt and sauté over medium-high heat until mushrooms have released their liquid and are well browned, about 15 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute.
3. Mix balsamic and stock together and stir into mushroom mixture. Cook until liquid is mostly evaporated, about 2 minutes. Stir in thyme, and then cooked farro and butternut squash. When farro and squash are heated through, season with salt and pepper and pour into a large serving dish. Top with toasted pecans. Serve hot.
PER SERVING: 436 cal, 30% fat cal, 16g fat (11g mono, 2g poly, 2g sat), 0mg chol, 16g protein, 65g carb, 5g fiber, 43mg sodium