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Tomato Paella with Chorizo

September 12, 2007 by Nicole 38 Comments

Tomato Paella Recipe - Pinch My Salt

Remember Mark Bittman’s Paella with Tomatoes that caused me to drool all over my keyboard last week? Well, I finally made it. It was the simplicity of this dish that drew me but when I saw some Spanish chorizo at the store, I decided it wouldn’t hurt to complicate the dish just a bit.

Since I’m in Italy, arborio (of risotto fame) was my rice of choice and it turned out to be a good one. The grains were firm yet creamy, a texture I can’t get enough of. For the smoked paprika, I used a combination of hot and sweet, one teaspoon of each. This added just enough heat to make it interesting. Both types came from The Spice House and I was glad to have them both on hand!

I’ve never used Spanish chorizo (not be be confused with Mexican chorizo, which is completely different) and I thought this was the perfect dish to give it a try. The chorizo I picked up at the store was just the prepackaged Goya brand sausage. I’m sure there is better chorizo to be found but tasted good and it turned the dish into more of a main course. If you can’t find chorizo, I think any kind of precooked or cured smoked sausage would be good.

I have to say that this is by far the best rice dish I have ever made. It was also one of the easiest. Now if you don’t have the smoked paprika and saffron in your pantry already, this dish requires a bit of an initial investment. But once you try using these spices, you’ll want to use them again and again. Trust me, it’s a good investment.

Tomato Paella with Chorizo

3 1/2 C. chicken or vegetable broth
1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into thick wedges
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 C. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 T. tomato paste
large pinch saffron threads
2 t. smoked paprika (I used a combination of hot and sweet)
2 C. arborio rice
3-4 oz. Spanish chorizo, diced
minced parsley for garnish.

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Warm broth in a saucepan. Put tomatoes in a medium bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and drizzle with 1 T. olive oil. Toss to coat.

2. Put remaining 3 T. oil in a 10- or 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, saffron, and paprika and cook for a minute more. Add rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is shiny, another minute or two. Add the chopped sausage and liquid and stir until just combined.

3. Put tomato wedges on top of rice and drizzle with remaining juices. Put pan in oven and roast, undisturbed, for 15 minutes. Check to see if rice is dry and just tender. If not, return pan to oven for another 5 minutes. If rice looks too dry but still is not quite done, add a small amount of stock or water (or wine). When rice is ready, turn off oven and let pan sit for 5 to 15 minutes.

4. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle with parsley. If you like, put pan over high heat for a few minutes to develop a bit of a bottom crust before serving.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Source: based on Paella with Tomatoes recipe New York Times, Dining & Wine, Sept. 5, 2007

Related Recipes:

  • Veggie Chili Beans with Rice
  • Smoked Paprika Butter

Around the Web:

  • Mark Bittman’s Tomato Paella from The Wednesday Chef
  • Quinoa Vegetable Paella from Fatfree Vegan Kitchen
  • Quick Paella from Hedonia
  • Natalie’s Paella from Posie’s Place

Filed Under: Herbs and Spices, Main Courses, Side Dishes

Previous Post: « Mediterranean Olive Hummus
Next Post: Quick and Easy Lemon Cake »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nicole says

    September 14, 2007 at 7:30 pm

    Thanks everyone for all the great feedback!
    Reply
  2. amanda says

    September 15, 2007 at 5:39 pm

    okay, it's only 10:30 in the morning but my stomach can't stop rumbling! it's been a while since i've hopped around the foodblogosphere and nearly your entire front page has me salivating! it's shear torture that i can't taste every single thing. t has been asking me to make paella for him for, oh, over a year now. i just keep putting it off because i want to make a big fancy seafood version. i think i'm going to have to just suck it up and make something like this delicious masterpiece!
    Reply
  3. Peter says

    September 17, 2007 at 11:05 am

    Nicole, the timing for this dish (september) is bang on....gotta use up those garden tomatoes!
    Reply
  4. Cindy K says

    September 17, 2007 at 11:47 pm

    I made it yesterday, and it was fabulous! I added some grilled marinated chicken thighs, grilled the sausage, and put in some shrimp but followed the rest of the recipe and even my picky eater hubby commented on how great it was! The smoked paprika (he's Hungarian) probably sold him!
    Reply
  5. Nicole says

    September 18, 2007 at 7:15 am

    Amanda: I have to take breaks from the food blogosphere too from time to time...so many good sites out there it can be overwhelming! Thanks for stopping by :-) Looking forward to your paella, whether it's simple or fancy. I know whatever you come up with will be amazing! Peter: Exactly! Welcome back, looking forward to hearing of your Greek adventures :-) Cindy K: Thanks for sharing with us! Just out of curiosity, what did you use to marinate the chicken thighs? I love this recipe because it can be made simply with just the tomatoes or dressed up with whatever extras you want to add! Either way, it's easy and delicious!
    Reply
  6. TomC says

    September 19, 2007 at 3:18 pm

    or even veggie sausage instead of the Spanish chorizo :)
    Reply
  7. Nicole says

    September 19, 2007 at 6:00 pm

    Tom: That's a good idea. I always forget about the vegetarian 'sausages' and such. I don't usually buy them since we eat meat but I do love morningstar farms brand veggie corn dogs. I used to eat them all the time in college. I also love their black bean burgers. I doubt you have that brand in England though :-)
    Reply
  8. Carrie says

    June 3, 2009 at 7:08 am

    I just tried this recipe a few days ago, and my husband and I both loved it! Thank you so much for sharing it!
    Reply
  9. Syin says

    March 1, 2011 at 6:22 am

    I wasn't going to comment on this recipe because I thought that the adaptations that I had made completely changed it but it was so delicious that I just had to say thank you! I used basmati instead of risotto rice (so it wasn't paella), omitted the chorizo (I'm sort of vegetarian) and also topped with cauliflower as well as tomatoes. The flavour was absolutely immense and actually even better the next day. Om nom nom.
    Reply
  10. Stuart says

    August 6, 2013 at 2:57 am

    That looks incredible. My mouth is watering just looking at the pictures. I was guided here after reading your Summer Fest Tomato recipes - which all look amazing by the way. I think I'll make this at the weekend. Hopefully mine will taste as good as yours looks! Thanks.
    Reply
  11. Claire M says

    February 16, 2016 at 9:46 pm

    I've make this with mexican chorizo, because that's what is available around me, and I really love this dish.
    Reply
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