Family Style Food

0 Soak the wheat berries in enough water to cover, either overnight or before you go out for the day. If using farro, you can skip this step.
1 Bring 3 quarts water and 2 teaspoons salt to a boil in a saucepan. Add the drained wheat berries. Simmer for about an hour, or until the wheat berries are plump and al dente when you test one. If they seem too firm, cook up to an additional 15-30 minutes, keeping in mind that when fully cooked they will retain a small bit of “chew”. If cooking farro, boil 20-25 minutes until tender.
2 Drain all but a small amount of water (1 or 2 tablespoons) from the wheat berries. Put the hot wheat berries back in the pan and stir in the garlic, smoked paprika, harissa or chili and 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
3 If using fresh tomatoes, char them directly over a gas flame on your stovetop or under a hot broiler. Turn them with tongs until their skins are blackened and blistered. Chop into rough pieces and add them (or the canned tomatoes) to the wheat berries.
4 Transfer the wheat berries to a serving bowl and toss with the vinegar and arugula. Taste and season with salt if needed.
5 Dollop with spoonfuls of ricotta and drizzle with a little more olive oil before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.