This is a great alternative to pasta salad. It's served cold, can be made in advance and kept in the fridge, plus it has the added benefit of ALWAYS maintaining a perfect "al dente" texture.
Watch the Pasta Grammar video where we make this recipe here:
Serves 2, scale up as necessary. There are no rules when it comes to salads like this, so feel free to add more or less of any ingredients according to your taste.
For this recipe, you will need:
Salt
~1 cup (160g) farro (spelt) or orzo (pearled barley)
3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1/2 red onion, diced
1 small zucchini, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1/2 medium eggplant, chopped
Fresh black pepper
4-5 sun-dried tomatoes under oil, diced
1/4 cup (35g) chopped almonds
4 oz. (115g) chopped cheese (we used sharp provolone, but an aged cheddar will work as well)
Balsamic vinegar for drizzling
Bring a large pot of water to boil and salt it generously. Add the barley and cook as directed on the package, or until al dente to your taste. Drain and transfer into a large bowl. Toss the barley with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent it from sticking. Set aside for later.
In a large skillet, add the olive oil and diced onion over medium heat. Sauté until the onion is tender, then add the zucchini. Cook for 3-4 minutes, then add the chopped pepper. Sauté a further 3-4 minutes before adding the eggplant.
Salt/pepper the vegetables to taste and cook them until the peppers are tender and the eggplants are lightly browned.
Add the vegetables into the barley, along with the sun-dried tomatoes, almonds and cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and a little bit of balsamic vinegar, and mix all together.
Let the salad cool to room temperature before covering and refrigerating for up to 3-4 days. Buon appetito!