Farrotto with Sausage and Peppers

“Cab Franc is my favorite AVV Estate wine. I wanted to pair it with a dish that would enhance its earthy qualities and bell pepper notes. “Farrotto” is an interesting alternative to risotto or pasta, featuring farro’s nutty flavor and satisfying chewiness, and I like it with the simple combination of Italian sausage, peppers and onion. The pine nuts add a nice bit of texture.”
– Mike Fishback, Wine Club Manager

– Serves 4 –

Ingredients:
1 cup water
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup pearled farro (use “pearled” for quick cooking)
Dash of salt
1 Tbsp. olive oil
12 oz. sweet Italian sausage (4 sausages), fully cooked, sliced into 1/4” thick medallions
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
¼ tsp. pepper
3 Tbsp. pine nuts

Method of Preparation:
Put water, chicken broth, farro and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover the pot, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, until farro is tender but still chewy, then drain any excess liquid.

While the farro cooks, thinly slice the onions and bell peppers, and slice the sausage into ¼-inch thick medallions. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage medallions and sauté until browned, then drain off the excess fat. Add the sliced onions to the skillet and cook for about 4-5 minutes, then add the bell peppers and continue to sauté for 5 more minutes, or until the onions are becoming translucent but are still slightly crisp. Add the diced tomatoes (with juices), oregano, basil, pepper and cooked farro. Stir until evenly combined and cook on low heat long enough to heat through (about 3 minutes), then stir in the pine nuts and immediately transfer to a serving dish.