Italian cuisine · Salads & Mezze

Farro and Zucchini Salad

Warm farro salad with zucchini strips fried until golden, plenty of mint and a bold lemon dressing.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 250 g farro
• 600 g zucchini
• 1 bunch mint
• 2 organic lemons
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 50 g pine nuts
• 80 g ricotta salata (or feta)
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Rinse the farro in cold water and cook uncovered in plenty of salted water over medium heat for 25–30 min. until the grains are tender but still have a distinct bite.
2. Meanwhile halve the zucchini lengthwise and cut into thin 5 mm half-moons, slice the garlic thinly and coarsely chop the mint leaves.
3. Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan over medium heat for 2–3 min. until golden and tip them onto a plate immediately so they don't darken further.
4. Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in the same pan until hot and fry the zucchini with the garlic in batches for 4–5 min. until golden at the edges, then salt and pepper.
5. Drain the farro, let it steam off briefly and mix while still warm with the juice and zest of one lemon, the remaining olive oil, salt and pepper.
6. Fold in the zucchini, mint and pine nuts, crumble the ricotta salata over the top and serve lukewarm with wedges of the second lemon.