Italian Antipasto Bowls
March’s Bowl of the Month! We’re going Italian this time and this one is probably the most versatile of all. Switch out the meat (I used Italian sausage and pepperoni, but you could use Genoa salami, chicken, meatballs) or even skip it entirely. Seriously. I am a total carnivore, but once you have all the marinated vegetable goodness of artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, garbanzo beans, and pepperoncinis, you already have so much flavor going.
My Italian Antipasto Bowls use ingredients I typically keep in my fridge and pantry. They are a perfect compromise between a flavorful salad and a more filling grain bowl. And I forgot how much I love farro! All this time I’ve been cooking quinoa, but I really prefer the flavor and texture of farro.
Italian Antipasto Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 cup farro
- olive oil, for seasoning and cooking
- salt, to taste
- 1/2 lb bulk Italian sausage
- 2 zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into half moons
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 2 cups spring mix, torn or roughly chopped
- 1 12- oz jar marinated artichoke heart quarters, drained
- 1 12- oz jar roasted red peppers, diced
- 1 14.5- oz can garbanzo beans, drained
- 6 slices provolone cheese, diced
- 1/2 cup pepperoncinis, sliced
- 4 oz pepperoni, diced
- Italian Dressing, store-bought or homemade
Easy Italian Dressing
- 1/4 cup onion, finely minced
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Follow the package directions to cook the farro. The brand I buy calls for 1 cup farro and 2 1/2 cups water. Bring to a simmer and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Season with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt.
- In a saute pan, heat 1 tsp olive oil and cook and crumble the Italian sausage. Transfer to a separate bowl. In the same pan, heat an additional teaspoon of olive oil and saute the zucchini and onion until nicely caramelized and softened.
- To make the dressing, simply whisk together all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. If you want a tangier dressing, add another splash of vinegar. Store in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks.
- To assemble, divide the spring mix amongst 4 big bowls. Divide up the seasoned farro, cooked vegetables, and sausage. Top with the artichoke hearts, roasted red pepper, garbanzo beans, provolone cheese, pepperoncinis, and pepperoni. Drizzle with Italian dressing and enjoy!
