Fideuá (Spanish Noodle "Paella")

two white plates with seafood and noodle dish served on top.

Fideuá (Spanish Noodle "Paella")

Made in a Paella pan, this relative of Paella - known as Fideuá - is just as delicious. Made with short noodles, vegetables, and lots of seafood, it's a filling dish to share with others on the weekends!

Course First Course, Lunch

Cuisine Spanish

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1

Servings

Author Alba Luna Meyer

Ingredients

2 tomatoes
1 medium white onion
1 small red bell pepper, or 1/2 large
2 garlic cloves
7 ounces monkfish or hake fillets
3 ounces calamari or cuttlefish
4 king prawns
9 ounces short noodles
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon paprika powder
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 1/2 cups fish stock or water
allioli and lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions

Prepare the ingredients for the Sofrito: Rinse the tomatoes, cut them in half and grate the tomato pulp into a bowl. Peel and finely dice (or grate) the onion. Rinse and dice the red bell pepper. Peel and mince the garlic cloves.
Prepare the fish and seafood: Clean and cut the monkfish or hake into bite-sized pieces. Clean and cut the calamari or cuttlefish into rings or pieces. You can also peel the king prawns if desired (optional).
Toast the noodles: You can do this in the paella pan before you use it for the other steps or in a different pan while making the sofrito. Place a pan over low heat and add the noodles, spreading them out evenly. Toast for about 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly until they change color. Then remove and set aside.
Sear the seafood: In the paella pan, heat half of the olive oil and sear the fish, calamari rings, and king prawns on each side for about 1 minute. If you peeled the king prawns, skip this step and add them later. Set aside.
Make the sofrito: Add the rest of the olive oil and sauté the onion, red bell pepper and garlic over medium heat for 7-8 minutes, or until golden and fragrant. Stir regularly.
Push the onion, garlic and red pepper to the sides of the paella pan and add the grated tomatoes, paprika, salt and pepper to the center. Mix and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, then mix with the rest of the ingredients in the pan.
Add the toasted noodles to the paella pan, mix well and pour in the fish stock or water.
Evenly distribute the seared fish and calamari on top of the noodles in the pan. Cook until almost all the liquid has been absorbed. Then add the king prawns to the pan, pushing them slightly into the noodles. Cook for an additional 2 minutes.
Taste the noodles. If they are still slightly too hard, cover the pan with a lid and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
Serve the fideuá with some allioli and lemon wedges.

Notes

Don’t skip making the sofrito; it’s key to having a tasty fideuá.
You can use lots of different fish and other seafood for this recipe – just make sure it is fresh, good quality and has some meaty pieces. Clean the fish well before adding it.
Use fish stock if possible. If you can’t find a good store-bought one, you can make it at home by simmering up to 2 pounds of fish bones or fish with lots of bones, prawn heads and shells, onion, garlic, tomato, olive oil, salt, and 1 stick of celery for 2 hours. Drain and use.
If you’re using water instead of fish stock, take extra time to make the sofrito (the slower, the more flavor it will develop) and adjust the amount of salt you add as needed.
When choosing noodles, avoid overly thin noodles as they tend to overcook easily and become mushy. Use "fideo no 4” if you can find them, otherwise, short pasta about as thick as spaghetti works well.
Adjust the amount of fish stock or water depending on the type of pasta. The final dish should be slightly moist, but not soupy. If you’re unsure how much fish stock you will need, keep it warm in a small saucepan and add about 1/2 cup at a time. This way you can control the amount.
Some cooks skip toasting the noodles, others say it's crucial. If you're toasting them, you can do it in a separate pan over low heat while the sofrito is cooking to save time or in the paella pan before starting the sofrito.

Nutrition

This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.