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Superfast Weeknight Paella

Superfast Weeknight Paella

This Weeknight Paella requires only 10 minutes of hands-on work and lands on your table 30 minutes later. Its spectacular flavors will brighten any meal!

Weeknight Paella // FoodNouveau.com

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My favorite trick to make sure I can get dinner on the table, fast, every night is to keep a list of go-to weeknight recipes displayed on the refrigerator. I continuously add to it whenever I try a new recipe and everyone loves it. The dish gets bonus points if it can be made in advance and produces leftovers.

I cook for a living, which means we often have leftovers to enjoy for dinner, but on some nights, nothing’s lined up. Those are the days my do-to list comes in handy. Because I make these recipes so often, I very often have everything on hand to whip them up. I keep a variety of fresh veggies in the fridge, jars of different rice varieties in the pantry, and basic meats and seafood in the freezer. These ingredients help me assemble dinner in no time.

This Weeknight Paella is one of my family’s favorite dishes. Now I know associating the words “weeknight” and “paella” could be considered heresy, but I thought it sounded more appealing than “Spanish-Style Rice Dish.” I call it a paella because it uses ingredients usually associated with the dish: saffron, garlic, tomatoes, shrimp, chorizo, and chicken all contribute to pile on the flavor in record time.

Making this Weeknight Paella takes 40 minutes from start to finish, most of it hands-off, and produces 6 generous servings. Paella is one of those dishes that develops even more flavor as it sits, so leftovers are just as delightful—dare I say, even more flavorful—than when the dish is freshly made. It’s a spectacular weeknight meal and an unfussy dish to serve to company.

Helpful Tips for Making Weeknight Paella

  • Pick the right rice variety: “Paella rice” is short-grain Spanish rice that cooks to a firm, sticky bite. Common varieties include Bomba, Valenciano, and Calasparra. The difference between paella rice and risotto rice is that risotto rice releases more starch, creating a “creamy” result upon cooking. You wouldn’t usually want that creamy result for paella, but if you’re short on paella rice or can’t find it, you can substitute an Italian short-grain variety in a pinch. Because you’re not stirring the rice as it cooks (contrary to risotto), the result is close enough and certainly just as delicious.
  • Indulge in that pinch of saffron: Using saffron in a weeknight dish may seem incredibly indulgent, but it’s a spice I like to always keep on hand: a little saffron goes a very long way when it comes to building flavor. If you don’t have saffron on hand, substitute turmeric for an equally colorful result.
  • Go spicy or mild: Chorizo sausage adds a nice little kick to this paella, but if you (or the kids you’ll serve this to!) prefer a milder-tasting dish, you can substitute crumbled Italian sausage. 

Weeknight Paella // FoodNouveau.com

Weeknight Paella // FoodNouveau.com

Superfast Weeknight Paella

This Weeknight Paella requires only 10 minutes of hands-on work and lands on your table 30 minutes later. Its spectacular flavors will brighten any meal!
Prep Time:10 minutes
Cook Time:30 minutes
Total Time:40 minutes
Servings 6 generous servings
Author Marie Asselin, FoodNouveau.com

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups 375 ml chicken stock
  • 1 small pinch saffron threads or 1/2 tsp/2 ml ground turmeric
  • 2 tbsp 30 ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 links fresh chorizo sausage casings removed (substitute fresh Italian sausage for a milder option)
  • 1 small onion minced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup 250 ml paella rice (see note)
  • 1/2 tsp 2 ml sweet or hot smoked Spanish paprika (pimentón)
  • 1 14- oz 414 ml can diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 tsp 2 ml kosher salt, or fine sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 3/4 cup 180 ml frozen green peas
  • 12 raw peeled large shrimp, defrosted (if frozen)
  • 2 cups 500 ml diced cooked chicken
  • 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley chopped (about 1/4 cup/60 ml)
  • 1/2 a lemon juice only

Instructions

  • Combine the chicken stock and saffron in a small saucepan and place over low heat. Do not let it come to a boil--you only want to warm up the stock and infuse it with the saffron.
  • In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until crisp. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the rice, paprika, salt, and some ground black pepper and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the saffron-infused broth and diced tomatoes. Bring to a low simmer, cover, and cook over low heat for 15 minutes.
  • Tuck in the shrimp, cover, and cook for 5 minutes more. Stir in the frozen peas, cover again, and cook for 5 minutes more. If you notice the rice seems dry through the cooking process, you can add up to 1/2 cup (125 ml) more chicken stock to loosen it, though you should know that paella is a dryer and stiffer rice dish than risotto.
  • Stir in the cooked chicken, parsley, and lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed. Serve immediately.
  • STORAGE: Store leftover weeknight paella in an airtight container, then refrigerate for up to 3 days.
  • NOTE: "Paella rice" is short-grain Spanish rice that cooks to a firm, sticky bite. Common varieties include Bomba, Valenciano, and Calasparra. The difference between paella rice and risotto rice is that risotto rice releases more starch, creating a “creamy” result upon cooking. You wouldn’t usually want that creamy result for paella, but if you’re short on paella rice or can’t find it, you can substitute an Italian short-grain variety in a pinch. Because you’re not stirring the rice as it cooks (contrary to risotto), the result is close enough and certainly just as delicious.

Did you make this?

Tell me how you liked it! Leave a comment or take a picture and tag it with @foodnouveau on Instagram.

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Author: Marie Asselin

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

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  1. Hi, I actually wanted to cmmment on your bolognese ragu recipe but the comment box on that page has disappeared.

    I have made your original recipe many, many times and it’s just as good as the ones we’ve had in Bologna! Can I ask what’s the difference between the updated recipe and the original that you first posted? Thank you!

    • Hey Rebecca, thank you so much for letting me know the comment section was closed on my Bolognese post! I found the issue and fixed it. So happy you love the sauce as much as I do! I didn’t change the core recipe when I updated the post. The update included adding better pictures, a better print option, and slow-cooker instructions. If you’ve been making the sauce for many years, the recipe’s still the same tried and true delicious dish!