Baked Farro with Lentils, Tomato and Mozzarella is the ultimate affordable, easy to whip up vegetarian meal that kids and adults love equally. It’s perfect for family dinners, meal prep, or even a cozy gathering.
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
- Perfect for Meatless Monday: This hearty dish is a family favorite, packed with protein and flavor that satisfies even the meat-lovers in our home. It’s a go-to alongside vegetarian favorites like Vegetarian Chimichangas, Vegetarian Spring Rolls, Vegetarian Pho to name a few.
- Nutritious & Delicious: Farro and lentils are a power duo—high in protein and fiber, with a chewy texture and nutty flavor that makes every bite irresistible. Looking for more lentil recipes? Try these: Smoky Red Lentil Stew, Lentil Mushroom Bolognese and Crock Pot Lentil Veggie Stew.
- Leftovers for Days: This recipe makes enough for leftovers, saving time and keeping meal prep stress-free.
- Kid-Approved: When the kids rave that it’s one of the best dinners ever, you know it’s a winner!
- Inspired by the Best: Adapted from a New York Times recipe, this version adds more veggies and a cozy, cheesy twist.
The Ingredients
- Farro and Lentils: This power duo combines nutty, chewy farro with earthy, protein-packed lentils for a hearty, satisfying base.
- Olive Oil and Aromatics: Extra virgin olive oil, diced yellow onion, and thinly sliced garlic create a rich, savory base for the sauce.
- Tomatoes and Zucchini: Juicy tomatoes make up the tangy sauce, while grated zucchini adds moisture, texture, and extra nutrients.
- Herbs and Seasonings: Optional fresh or dried herbs like oregano or thyme bring depth, and kosher salt and black pepper enhance all the flavors.
- Mozzarella Cheese: Melts into a gooey, golden topping that ties everything together.
Substitutions and Variations
- Vegan Option: Swap the mozzarella for your favorite vegan cheese to make this recipe vegan.
- Cheese Alternatives: Try feta or Parmesan for a different flavor twist.
- Extra Veggies: Use any veggies you have on hand! You can add diced bell peppers, mushrooms, grated carrot or spinach for more color and nutrition.
- 10-Minute Farro: If all you can find is 10-minute farro, feel free to use it. I’ve used this before and not had any problems.
How to Make Baked Farro with Lentils, Tomato and Mozzarella
Step 1: Heat the oven to 400°F. Place the farro in an 9×9 inch or 11×7 inch glass/ceramic baking dish (depending on how deep the dish is) and transfer to the oven to toast for 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 2: Remove the dish from the oven and scatter the lentils over the farro.
Step 3: While the farro toasts, make the tomato sauce. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and juice, herb sprigs (if using), grated zucchini and 2 ½ cups water.
Step 4: Gently pour the tomato sauce over the lentils and farro and stir to combine. Bake, stirring halfway through, until the lentils and farro are tender, about 40 to 50 minutes.
Step 5: Add 3/4 cup water, stir, then top with grated mozzarella.
Step 6: Bake an additional 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and starting to turn golden. Remove the herb sprigs as you serve.
Recipe Video
Tips and Tricks
- Toast for Flavor: Toasting the farro brings out its nutty flavor—don’t skip this step!
- Adjust the Sauce: If you prefer a saucier dish, add a splash of extra water or broth when combining the sauce with farro and lentils.
- Check Doneness: If the farro or lentils are still firm, cover the dish with foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes.
- Let It Rest: Allow the dish to sit for 5 minutes before serving so the flavors meld together beautifully.
FAQs
Yes! To freeze, I would recommend making the dish, allowing to cool then freeze it. Make sure it’s tightly covered to prevent freezer burn. When ready to eat: defrost, cover with foil and reheat in a 300°F oven for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.
Totally! I recently used the Trader Joe’s 10-minute farro to make this because it’s all I could find, and it worked perfectly!
Nope! No need to soak the farro or lentils when you make this. It’s so easy!
More Comforting Vegetarian Favorites
Hopefully this recipe brings a little warmth and comfort to your family at the dinner table. It has for us and I’m so happy to share it with you! I’d love to know what you think — leave a comment and rating below!
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Baked Farro with Lentils, Tomato and Mozzarella
Ingredients
- 1 cup farro
- 1/2 cup dried green or brown lentils
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ground black pepper, to taste
- 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes crushed with your hand (or diced tomatoes)
- 2 sprigs oregano, thyme, rosemary or basil, or ½ teaspoon dried (all optional)
- 1 zucchini, grated
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Place the farro in an 9×9 inch or 11×7 inch glass/ceramic baking dish (depending on how deep the dish is) and transfer to the oven to toast, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and scatter the lentils over the farro.
- While the farro toasts, make the tomato sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and juice, herb sprigs (if using), grated zucchini and 2 ½ cups water.
- Gently pour the tomato sauce over the lentils and farro and stir to combine. Bake, stirring halfway through, until the lentils and farro are tender, about 40 to 50 minutes.
- Add 3/4 cup water, stir, then top with grated mozzarella and bake an additional 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and starting to turn golden.
- Remove the herb sprigs as you serve.
Notes
- Toast for Flavor: Toasting the farro brings out its nutty flavor—don’t skip this step!
- Adjust the Sauce: If you prefer a saucier dish, add a splash of extra water or broth when combining the sauce with farro and lentils.
- Check Doneness: If the farro or lentils are still firm, cover the dish with foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes.
- Let It Rest: Allow the dish to sit for 5 minutes before serving so the flavors meld together beautifully.
I had some lentils and half a bag of pearled farro kicking around and I’m really glad this recipe popped up when I googled those ingredients. I loved being able to toss in whatever odd bit of veg I needed to use up, in my case some frozen mixed vegetables. I added a bit of Seitenbacher broth powder for extra flavour, and used Daiya shreds to make it vegan. Super tasty and filling!
So happy you found this recipe! I love how you customized it to your needs too!
Could I use grated carrots in place of the zucchini? And can this dish be frozen?
Hi Anne! Great questions. You could absolutely use grated carrot in place of the zucchini. To freeze, I would recommend making the dish, allowing to cool then freeze it. Make sure it’s tightly covered to prevent freezer burn. When ready to eat: defrost, cover with foil and reheat in a 300°F oven for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.
Anyonevyry Trader Joe’s quick cooking farro in this recipe? That’s what I have on hand. Thanks!
Hi Lori! I’ve used that product before in this recipe and it worked out just fine. Let me know what you think!
We loved it. It’s so nice to have such a simple dish turn out feeling so satisfying! I also wasn’t able to fit it in an 8 x 8, switched it to an 11 x 7 and it just fit.
Glad you enjoyed!
Absolutely delicious! My husband has always claimed that he doesn’t like lentils, but this recipe made him change his mind. He went back for seconds!
I agree with the comment above. An 8 X 8 pan is too small. It was up to the rim. I had to put it on a cookie sheet to bake so that I did not have a disaster in my oven.
I’ve made this recipe several times now. It’s delicious, and everyone in the family likes it, but I recommend sizing up the size of the baking dish you use. It overflows an 8×8” pan and my 2.2 qt baking dish.
Do I see peas in the picture?
Do you need to soak lentils and farro overnight for sprouting? Or is it okay to do that first?
Hi Saline, no need to soak the lentils or farro before cooking for this recipe.
I have made this several times – what I love about it is I can put whatever veggies I have – tonight I put yellow pepper and spinach – delicious!
That’s a great idea! Glad you’ve been making it your own.
This was a hit!! There are only 5 recipes that my whole family will eat and now we have 6! Thank you so much
I wanted to make sure that the farro is uncooked? It doesn’t state but I assume it is uncooked to be toasted in the oven as well as the lentils which does say dried. I was just concerned with the amount of liquid in the recepe. Is it enough to cook both the farro and the lentils? So excited to try this!!
Hi there! Yes, the farro is uncooked.
We all loved this! So much flavor and a great way to use a grain we usually overlook. Mine was a big mess in the 8×8 though… too full. Do you think it would work okay in a bigger dish?
You can use a bigger dish if you find 8×8 is too small.
Will this recipe work with Trader Joe’s 10 minute farro?
Hi Lauren! Sorry to just be replying, but yes! I just recently used the 10 minute farro from TJs for this recipe since it was all I could find and it worked just fine!
This was absolutely delicious! I made it for dinner and it was an absolute hit. It is lighter than a pasta bake, but still has that satisfying, comforting taste. I will definitely be making this again soon and thank you so much for crafting this recipe!
I needed to size up the casserole dish – mine didn’t fit in the 8×8 and almost filled the a 2 qt. dish to the top. I can’t figure out anything I measured wrong!
It’s a big hit though!
Happy you enjoyed! My 8×8 dish is quite deep, so a larger dish may work better. Glad you figured it out! 🙂
This was amazingly delicious and I am so glad to have another recipe to throw together with things I typically have on hand. The roasting of the farro really adds so much flavor. My 6 year old commented that she and her sister both actually liked a new recipe — a miracle!!