Paella Made with Noodles

By amaliana

Rice, of course, is the basis for classic paella. But this faster version combines vegetables, seafood, and noodles, broken into smaller pieces as in the Spanish cousin of paella called fideos. You can cook the noodles in plain water, but if you've got even a little bit of vegetable, seafood, or chicken stock lying around, this is a good time to use it.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 8 ounces any long, thin pasta, preferably whole wheat, broken into 2-inch or shorter lengths
• Salt and black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, optional
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 cups fresh or frozen peas
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup water or stock, plus more as needed
• 8 ounces scallops, squid, mussels, or shrimp, or a combination
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
• Lemon wedges

Details

Servings 4
Cooking time 30mins

Preparation

Step 1

1. Put the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it's hot, add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, 3 to 5 minutes; remove from the pan with a slotted spoon. add the noodles to the pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring constantly, until they brown(try not to let them blacken).
2.Return the onion and garlic to the pan and add the saffron, paprika, peas, and bell pepper. Cook, stirring and adding more liquid if things start to stick,until the noodles are nearly tender and everything is just starting to dry out, about 15 minutes.
3.Stir in the seafood and cook, stirring occasionally and adding a little more water or stock if you like, until it is just cooked through(large shrimp and scallops will take about 5 minutes; small or chopped shrimp about 3 minutes; squid no more than 1 minute). Taste and adjust the seasoning. Stir in the parsley and serve with the lemon wedges.