Name: Early Autumnal Vegetable Paella
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: Best-quality extra-virgin olive oil (I prefer an unfiltered organic Spanish oil); 2 cups diced butternut squash; 1 cup diced carrots; 1 cup diced parsnips; ½ pound mushrooms (sliced); 2 red peppers (cut into julienne); 3 Japanese or Chinese eggplants (sliced into ½-inchnthick slices); 4 large garlic cloves (minced); 1 cup dry white wine (I prefer Spanish wine); 1 teaspoon saffron threads; 1 cup Spanish Bomba or Calasparra rice; ⅓ cup sofrito (Catalan tomato and onion sauce); 3 cups water; ½ cup fresh or frozen peas; 1 cup Kalamata olives; ½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley; 1 teaspoon saffron threads; Suggested Garnishes: pomegranate seeds (lemon slices, toasted pumpkin seeds)

Early Autumnal Vegetable Paella

This one-pot meal is a crowd pleaser. The flavors are intense and completely addicting. . I go out of my mind for the traditional Bomba or Calasparra rice. The short and chubby grains soak up the saffron liquid and provide a comforting base for the vegetables. If you cannot find those rices, you can substitute with Arborio rice or short-grain brown rice for a healthier variation.

The traditional, decadently rich allioli sauce is passed at the table with paella. The sauce makes the out-of-this-world paella even more amazing.

Early Autumnal Vegetable Paella

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

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Servings

Ingredients

Best-quality extra-virgin olive oil I prefer an unfiltered organic Spanish oil
2 cups diced butternut squash
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced parsnips
½ pound mushrooms sliced
2 red peppers cut into julienne
3 Japanese or Chinese eggplants sliced into ½-inchnthick slices
4 large garlic cloves minced
1 cup dry white wine I prefer Spanish wine
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1 cup Spanish Bomba or Calasparra rice
⅓ cup sofrito Catalan tomato and onion sauce
3 cups water
½ cup fresh or frozen peas
1 cup Kalamata olives
½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon saffron threads
Suggested Garnishes: pomegranate seeds lemon slices, toasted pumpkin seeds

Instructions

Heat a large sauté pan or paella pan, coated with olive oil, over medium-high heat. Brown the vegetables in batches and sauté until they are caramelized.
Once the vegetables are browned, add them all back to the pan; add the wine, saffron, rice, water, and sofrito. Stir to combine. Cook the mixture over medium heat until the rice begins to swell.
Add the remaining ingredients but do not stir them in. Continue to cook until the rice is tender.
Turn off the heat and cover the paella with a towel, allowing it to sit before serving so the flavors can meld. Pass garlicky allioli.
Recipe published in JOY of KOSHER with Jamie Geller magazine Fall 2015. Subscribe Now.
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