Belly-warming satisfaction

Chickpea and farro stew

I was served a version of this dish at a neighborhood restaurant in Milan last fall and was completely smitten with it. It provided the comforting, belly-warming satisfaction a chilly night calls for, and it charmed me with the rustic-chic elegance that came from pairing chickpeas with farro, an ancient variety of wheat that is officially on trend these days, I’m happy to say.

When I began to experiment with my own take on it, I realized that the dish involved the same basic technique as a familiar favorite, pasta e fagioli (pasta and beans), which, growing up in Queens, I always knew as “pasta fazool.” The basic idea is the same: The classic onion-carrot-celery triad is softened in a pot with some garlic; then broth, tomatoes and herbs are stirred in along with the beans (which, here, are chickpeas); after those cook for a while, the grain is added and cooked al dente.

In this recipe, of course, the grain is farro, rather than the usual pasta, and it lends an appealing chew and subtly nutty flavor to the stew. Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 50 minutes 4 servings (makes 6 cups) cups cooked or no-salt-added canned chickpeas (from two 15-ounce cans; drained and rinsed, if using canned) cups no-salt-added chicken or vegetable broth tablespoons olive oil medium onion, diced medium carrot, diced rib celery, diced cloves garlic, minced can (14.5 ounces) no-salt-added diced tomatoes sprig rosemary teaspoon salt teaspoon freshly ground black pepper cup pearled farro cups lightly packed baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped cup freshly grated Parmesan Combine 1 cup chickpeas and 1/2 cup broth in a blender; blend to form a smooth puree. Heat the oil in a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened but not browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic; cook, 1 minute. Add the remaining 2 cups chickpeas, the remaining 3 cups broth, the tomatoes and their juices, the rosemary, salt and pepper, stirring to incorporate. Heat to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, 15 minutes. Add the farro; increase the heat to medium-high. Once the mixture returns to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the farro is tender, about 20 minutes. Discard the rosemary sprig. Add the chickpea puree, then stir in the spinach and cook until it is just wilted, 1 or 2 minutes. Serve hot, garnished with the cheese.

440 calories, 13 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 65 g carbohydrates, 15 g sugar, 19 g protein, 520 mg sodium, 15 g fiber