Description
This hearty grain salad includes crispy sausage and cauliflower, which is charred to perfection. Pecorino cheese brings it together to create a delicious, quick meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 oz hot Italian sausage, removed from casing
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 4 small shallots or 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 head of cauliflower (I used green), cut into small florets
- 1 ½ cups mixed grains, farro or barley (I usedPedon’s Quick-Cooking Italian 5 Grain Blend)
- ¼ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for serving
- ¼ cup mint, basil and/or parsley, roughly chopped
- Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
- Heat oven & water: Preheat oven to 400°F. Bring a medium-sized pot of salted water to a boil.
- Cook sausage & onions: Heat a large oven-safe sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan, followed by the sausage. Break up the sausage and cook 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until browned. Add onion to pan, season with salt and pepper, and sauté 2-3 minutes or until onions are translucent and meat is well-browned. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Transfer sausage mixture to a bowl, making sure not to leave behind any garlic.
- Cook cauliflower: Increase heat slightly. Add the remaining oil to the pan, along with any reserved sausage oil from the bowl. Add cauliflower to pan, stem-side up, and season with salt and pepper. Flip when well-browned on first side, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer pan to the oven and continue to cook about 7-10 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Return pan to stovetop with heat on medium.
- Cook grains: While cauliflower cooks, add grains to salted, boiling water. Cook 1 minute short of package instructions, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving a cup of cooking liquid. If using a longer cooking grain (mine cooked in about 9 minutes), start cooking the grain first.
- Mix, season & serve: Return sausage mixture to pan with cauliflower. Add grains and a few tablespoons of cooking water. Allow liquid to evaporate as ingredients heat through. Turn off heat and stir in cheese. Taste for seasoning. Stir in herbs right before serving. Serve with grated cheese. Enjoy.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main
- Method: Saute
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of salad
- Calories: 562
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 595mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Carbohydrates: 68g
- Protein: 21g