Set the stage and toast the farro. Preheat your oven to 200°C (fan 180°C). While it heats, place a dry, heavy-based saucepan over a medium flame. Add the farro and toast it, stirring frequently, for about 3–4 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when the grains release a warm, nutty aroma and start to smell like popcorn — they should feel hot to the touch but not yet browning.

Cook the farro. Pour 750ml of boiling water over the toasted farro, add a generous pinch of salt, and bring it to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover, and let it cook for 25–30 minutes. The grains should be tender but still pleasantly chewy — taste one to check. When it’s done, drain any remaining liquid and set it aside, uncovered, so it doesn’t turn mushy.

Prepare the vegetables for roasting. While the farro simmers, tip the aubergine cubes, pepper chunks, red onion wedges, and whole garlic cloves onto a large baking tray. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, then scatter over the smoked paprika, oregano, salt, and a good grind of black pepper. Use your hands to toss everything together until every piece is glistening and coated — the vivid red of the peppers against the deep purple of the aubergine is a beautiful sight.

Roast until blistered and tender. Spread the vegetables in a single, even layer — crowding them will cause steaming rather than roasting. Slide the tray into the oven and roast for 20 minutes. After that, give the tray a shake, add the halved cherry tomatoes, and return to the oven for another 15–20 minutes. You’re looking for the aubergine to be soft and golden at the edges, the peppers to have dark, charred spots, and the tomatoes to have burst and released their juices — the smell at this point is utterly intoxicating.

Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil, the lemon juice, tahini, and pomegranate molasses. The tahini will seize at first — don’t panic — just keep whisking until it becomes a smooth, pale, creamy dressing. Taste it; it should be tangy, nutty, and just sweet enough.

Assemble the bowls. Remove the roasted garlic cloves from the tray — they will be soft and sweet. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of their skins into the cooked farro and stir well to distribute that mellow, buttery flavour. Divide the farro among four bowls, then top generously with the roasted vegetables and their juices. Drizzle the tahini dressing over everything, scatter the fresh parsley and toasted pine nuts on top, and serve immediately while the vegetables are still warm and the farro is just tender.