Italian · Authentic-ish Italian
Insalata di Farro
323 kcal a serving, against 504 for the traditional version. That is 181 kcal off, or 36%, with 20.3g of protein. Serves 4. 30 minutes.
What the traditional version is
A rustic grain bowl built on chewy farro, diced fresh tomatoes, black olives, torn mozzarella and basil, all bound together by a very generous pour of extra virgin olive oil.
What changed, and what each change costs
150g of mozzarella out, 160g of tinned tuna in
Mozzarella brings a wonderful milky fat, but it simply doesn't carry enough structural protein to justify the massive amount of energy it brings. Tinned tuna gives you huge returns on protein for a tiny fraction of the cost.
What it costs you. You completely lose the rich, comforting dairy element that coats the mouth. Tuna brings a totally different, much more assertive seaside funk. This is the main event. Nobody is going to mistake it for a quiet background note. You must like fish to make this swap work.
60g of olive oil down to 15g
Pouring 60ml of oil over a salad adds over 500 calories of pure fat. Dropping it to a single tablespoon forces the remaining ingredients to work much harder to build flavour.
What it costs you. The mouthfeel is undeniably less luxurious. To compensate, you've got to salt the fresh tomatoes early to draw out their natural juices. You then use that seasoned tomato water to stretch the tiny amount of oil into a proper dressing.
250g of grain down to 150g, adding 240g of tinned chickpeas
Dropping the pure starch volume and replacing it with pulses shifts the balance of the bowl entirely. Chickpeas bring plenty of dietary fibre and physical bulk without behaving like empty filler.
What it costs you. It becomes a mixed bean and grain dish rather than an unadulterated farro salad. Chickpeas are softer and slightly more mealy than a firm, chewy grain, so the salad loses a bit of its aggressive bite.
What goes in it
The ingredients, without the quantities. The weights are what the figures below are computed from, and they are in the book.
- Wholewheat pasta
- Tinned chickpeas
- Tinned tuna in spring water
- Ripe tomatoes
- Black olives
- Olive oil
- Red wine vinegar
- Fresh basil
How it starts
- Get a large pan of heavily salted water boiling rapidly.
- Drain the pasta well and spread it flat on a wide baking tray to cool it fast.
- While the pasta cools, dice the fresh tomatoes and put them in a large mixing bowl.
The rest of the method, and every weight, is in Authentic-ish Italian.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 504 | 323 |
| Protein | 17.7g | 20.3g |
| Fat | 26.8g | 7.7g |
| Saturated fat | 7.9g | 1.1g |
| Carbohydrate | 50.5g | 44.4g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 3.5g | 6.3g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Italian prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked. How every number is computed sets out the method.
Allergens. gluten, fish, sulphites.
The method is in the book
A dense, highly savoury lunch that sets you up for the afternoon instead of putting you to sleep at your desk. The tuna and chickpeas do the heavy lifting, and the salted tomato juice tricks you into thinking there's plenty of oil. I prefer this punchier version.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Italian, along with 59 more. Buy the paperback
More from Authentic-ish Italian
- Bruschetta al Pomodoro, 227 kcal a serving, 28% off
- Caponata, 182 kcal a serving, 73% off
- Arancini, 325 kcal a serving, 40% off
- Insalata di Mare, 290 kcal a serving, 19% off
- Polpette al Sugo, 305 kcal a serving, 36% off
- Panzanella, 360 kcal a serving, 24% off
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