Preparation

• Heat 2 Tbs. of the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, rosemary, and fennel, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion browns around the edges and softens, about 10 minutes. Add the farro and broth and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the farro is tender, about 20 minutes. Drain in a fine-mesh sieve.
• Heat the remaining 1/2 Tbs. oil and the garlic in an 8-inch skillet over medium heat until the garlic begins to sizzle. Add the panko and cook, stirring constantly, until golden and crunchy, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
• Add the farro mixture, beans, cheese, peppers, pine nuts, tomato paste, parsley, lemon zest, and pepper flakes to the large bowl with the panko. Mash with a potato masher until the beans are mashed and sticky but still a little chunky. Season to taste with salt. Stir in the egg. Chill the mixture for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.
• Portion the burger mixture into 8 balls. With moistened hands, form the burgers into eight 3-1/2-inch patties.
• Heat the canola oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet or cast-iron pan over medium heat. Add the burgers, reduce the heat to medium low, and cook until browned on one side, 3 to 4 minutes. Gently flip with a thin spatula and cook until browned and heated through, another 3 to 4 minutes.

Make Ahead Tips

Wrapped well in plastic, the shaped, uncooked burgers keep in the fridge for a few days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. Frozen burgers may be a bit more crumbly in the pan, but they’re still more delicious than the ones from a box. Cook frozen burgers straight from the freezer a little lower and a little longer.