Fridge-cleanout veggie paella

Typically, we cook paella on the grill low and slow in a pan big enough to feed a village, but over the years we’ve also perfected an indoor technique for a simple, weeknight version. Our secret? The oven.

The backbone of any great paella is using the right rice and treating it nice. Look for stubby short-grain rice, often labeled bomba rice or Calasparra, but Italian arborio will do in a pinch. These stubbier grains absorb more liquid than other varieties but still hold their structure so they don’t get mushy. 

The other must? Resisting the urge to stir the rice after you add it to the pan. In the end you’ll be rewarded with perfect al dente grains and paella’s signature golden crust on the bottom, known as socarrat. To get those grains just-so and the bottom nice and toasty, we start our paella on the stovetop, move it to the oven, then return it to the burner after baking. 

Making this meatless paella good and hearty calls for a hefty amount of vegetables, so we pile in zucchini, mushrooms, tomatoes, artichokes, asparagus, peas, and spinach. You could bulk things up even more (and add a little protein) with a can of chickpeas or butter beans; just stir them in when you add the other veggies. Sometimes, we’ll add a leek and some finely chopped carrots in with the other aromatics and/or swap whatever greens we’ve got hangin’ around for the spinach. And when it’s no longer asparagus season (😞), you can always sub in green beans. Really this is a no-rules paella. Well, except for the golden rule: Don’t stir that rice!

Fridge-cleanout Veggie Paella

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
• 1 large zucchini or yellow squash, halved lengthwise and sliced into half moons
• 1¼ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon turmeric (optional)*
• 1 14-ounce can chopped tomatoes
• 1½ cups short-grain white rice** 
• 8 ounces asparagus, tough ends snapped off, spears cut into 2-inch pieces 
• 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
• 1 cup jarred quartered artichoke hearts, drained
• 1 cup piquillo or roasted red peppers, thinly sliced 
• 3 cups baby spinach
• 3½ cups vegetable broth
• Chopped fresh parsley and lemon wedges, for garnish

Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
   
2. In a deep 12-inch ovenproof skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms and zucchini and season with ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, undisturbed, until golden on one side, about 3 minutes. Toss and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until golden and tender, 6 to 8 minutes more. Transfer to a small bowl.
   
3. To the same skillet, add remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and return to medium heat. Add onion, garlic, smoked paprika, turmeric (if using), and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and rice to combine. Stir in zucchini mixture, asparagus, peas, artichokes, piquillo peppers, and spinach.*** Add broth and ¾ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then carefully transfer to the oven. Bake, uncovered, until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
   
4. Return the skillet to the stovetop over medium-high heat. Cook until the bottom of the rice is crisp, about 2 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes. Top with strips of parsley and lemon wedges and serve immediately.

Notes and Substitutions:

• *Look for rice labeled Calasparra or bomba; otherwise Italian arborio will work.
• **Traditional paella uses saffron to tint the rice. I don’t like to waste my precious strands on a weeknight meal, so a little bit of turmeric gets the job done. If you don’t have any, just omit it; it won’t affect the final flavor. 
• ***If you want more heft, add in a can of chickpeas or butter beans (drained and rinsed) here.

This recipe originally appeared in the
Cool Beans newsletter.

Read the whole story here.