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1
Soak the dried Cannellini beans overnight in cold water. Drain, cover generously with fresh cold water, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until the beans are completely tender throughout and their skins offer no resistance — 45 to 60 minutes depending on age. Reserve the beans in their cooking liquid.
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2
Place the farro perlato and the Parmigiano rind in a heavy-based pot. Add the measured water (2 parts water to 1 part farro by volume). Bring to the boil over moderate heat, then immediately reduce to the gentlest possible simmer — the surface should barely tremble. Cover the pot tightly.
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3
Maintain this minimum simmer, covered, for 25 minutes. This is where the dish lives or dies: any vigorous boil will drive the starches into the cooking water and render the grain gummy; the heat must remain at its lowest setting throughout. At 25 minutes the water should be fully absorbed and the farro swollen but not split.
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4
Remove the pot from the heat. Lay a clean folded cloth over the opening of the pot before replacing the lid — the same technique as Mantovano risotto alla pilota. Leave undisturbed for 15 minutes. The grain will steam to completion and each kernel will separate cleanly.
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5
While the farro rests, warm the extra-virgin olive oil in a small pan to approximately 60°C — hot to the touch but not smoking, and certainly not sizzling. Add the rosemary sprigs and hold at this temperature for 5 minutes. The oil should carry a deep herbal scent without any sharpness or resinous bitterness.
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6
Remove the cloth and lid from the farro. Discard the Parmigiano rind. Add the cooked Cannellini beans and a ladleful of their cooking liquid to the pot. Fold gently to combine, then pour over the rosemary-infused oil, discarding the rosemary sprigs. Taste for seasoning. The finished dish should be cohesive but not wet — each grain of farro distinct, each bean intact.