I love a good meatless meal, but sometimes finding a way to make them hearty and filling can be challenging! One of my favorite vegetarian recipes that is hearty, filling, and delicious is my Mexican quinoa bowls. Since pizzas can have a lot of vegetables on them, it’s a great casserole to add plenty of veggies! The white bean and farro mixture ensures that you stay full with a meatless protein, and the farro adds a carbohydrate component as a hearty whole grain. This casserole is completely customizable: I use bell pepper, spinach, and mushrooms as my vegetables but I think that zucchini, shredded carrots, or finely chopped broccoli would also be excellent additions. This white bean and farro pizza casserole is a great one to add to your meal rotation!
Depending on where you get your farro, your cooking time will vary. Trader Joes sells a variety that cooks in about 10 minutes once your water is boiling. I find that most farro purchased outside of this quick-cooking variety will be ready in about 25-30 minutes once your water starts boiling. You can also make a large batch of farro and freeze portions in freezer-safe bags or containers and it is ready when you need it! I also like adding farro to salads to make them a bit more hearty and give me more carbohydrates if I need them.
My kids will eat anything that tastes like pizza, and this white bean and farro pizza casserole was no exception. Once your farro is cooked, everything else is cooked in one pot before you transfer to a baking dish. This recipe easily serves six and may even give you enough for leftovers, which reheat quite well. If you like your food on the spicier side, add extra red pepper flakes!
- 1½ cups cooked farro
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 oz. mushrooms, chopped
- 2 cans white beans, great northern beans, or navy beans, rinsed and drained
- 4 big handfuls of fresh spinach, chopped
- 28 oz. crushed tomatoes
- 15 oz. fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 tsp. salt + more to taste
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- ½ tsp. red pepper flakes
- 2 tsp. dried oregano
- 2 tsp. dried basil
- 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Fresh basil for topping, optional
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- If your farro is not yet cooked, cook according to package directions. You want about ¾ cup dry farro to give you 1½ cups of cooked farro. Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet or pot, heat olive oil. Add onion, pepper, and garlic and cook for a few minutes until tender and fragrant. Add mushrooms and cook until they begin to release their moisture.
- Add beans and stir to combine. After a few minutes add the spinach and cook until wilted.
- Add crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, oregano, and basil. Cook for about 10-15 minutes until the mixture is bubbling. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Add the cooked farro to the skillet and stir to combine. Depending on the size of your skillet, you may need to transfer the mixture to a large bowl to mix.
- Transfer the mixture to a large baking dish and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes until cheese is melted and mixture is bubbling.
- Serve with fresh basil, if desired.
- Enjoy!
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This is fabulous! I don’t eat much meat, although I do crave lamb occasionally. But I’m perfectly happy with something like this. Especially when there’s cheese involved!
I think you would love this recipe!