“Butternut” is like the best word on this planet.  How can you read it and not smile just a little?  Also, Trader Joe’s now sells farro in little bags for $1.99 and suddenly my life just got 100 times better.  Actually, it could be $2.99.  Either way, it’s life-changing and awesome.

For this particular recipe, I used the foundation of this recipe and the dressing from this recipe and what happened when the two came together was kind of magical.  I could eat this bowl of goodness for the rest of my days and be perfectly content.  Actually, I can really only eat it in the fall/winter because the ingreds are so seasonal, BUT for spring/summer, I’ll eat this.

Farro is just this amazingly delicious and chewy grain that holds up so nicely when paired with dressings.  This is a public service announcement: Go buy farro and buy a lot of it.  K THANKS.

Farro with Butternut Squash & Apples
1 cup farro, uncooked
2 – 2.5 cups chicken stock/veggie stock/water
2 cups cubed butternut squash (I bought the pre-cut kind from Trader Joe’s and just cut them into smaller cubes)
1 apple, diced
handful of pinenuts, toasted
2 handfuls of spinach, diced

Apple Cider Vinaigrette (from here)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1-2 tsp dijon mustard
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
pinch of salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Lay out the butternut squash on a baking sheet and give it a heavy drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt.  Roast for 20 minutes or until golden and slightly crispy.  Cook the farro according to directions (if you bought the Trader Joe’s version), using either chicken/veggie stock or water.  If you have regular farro from a bulk bin, use this as a guide.  Once cooked, drain any excess liquid and fluff with a fork.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, toss together the farro, roasted butternut squash, apples, spinach, and pinenuts.  Drizzle the apple cider vinaigrette over the farro a little bit at a time until it’s nice and dressed.  Note: I did not use all of the vinaigrette and sealed the rest in a jar to use later.