Recipes

Mizuna Pesto Farrotto with Oven-Roasted Olives

Ingredients

For the pesto
  • 1/2 cup raw cashews
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 3 teaspoons dried basil (or 3 tablespoons fresh)
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme (or 2 tablespoons fresh)
  • pinch of smoked paprika
  • 3 1/2 cups mizuna leaves (no stems), or arugula or other green
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2/3 cups vegetable broth (or water)
  • salt to taste
  • several dashes of black pepper
For the farrotto
  • 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 onion, diced small
  • 1 1/2 cups farro, soaked for 1 hour
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 8 oz dried oyster mushrooms, rehydrated or 2 cups fresh and chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, defrosted
  • 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
  • juice of 1/2 a lemon
For the olives
  • 1/2 cup black olives, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
  • a couple dashes of garlic powder
  • a couple dashes of dried oregano
  • a couple dashes of black pepper
  • salt to taste (optional- it was salty enough as it was, so I didn't add any)

Directions

For the pesto
Combine all ingredients except for the salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Process until fully combined. Taste and add salt and pepper as necessary. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.

For the olives
Preheat the oven to 450. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the olive slices out on the baking sheet. Top with the lemon juice, garlic powder, oregano, pepper, and salt (if using). Toss to combine. Roast olives in the oven for 20 minutes, tossing them once halfway through. Remove from oven and set aside until ready to use.

For the farrotto
Heat the olive oil with the garlic in a large, shallow saucepan over medium heat for about 1-2 minutes, or until garlic is fragrant. Add the onion and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add the farro, ¼ cup vegetable broth, thyme, basil, and oregano. Sauté for about 2 minutes or until liquid has mostly cooked away. Add 1 ¼ cups vegetable broth and the mushrooms and peas, stir, and cover the pan. Let cook for about 5 minutes or until the liquid has mostly cooked away. Add ½ cup of vegetable broth, stir and cover. Once the liquid has mostly cooked away, add another ½ cup of vegetable broth, stir and cover. Continue this pattern until all broth has been used and the farro is fully cooked and thick. Add the lemon juice and nutritional yeast and stir to combine. Mix in 1 cup of pesto sauce and stir until combined. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm and enjoy!