Popular Seafood Paella with Saffron Rice
A vibrant paella featuring saffron-infused rice, shrimp, mussels, and a hint of citrus for a coastal flavor. This Mediterranean recipe, ready in about 70 minutes, pairs rice, saffron threads, shrimp for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 400 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups rice
- 1/2 tsp saffron threads
- 12 large, peeled shrimp
- 1 lb, cleaned mussels
- 1 medium, diced onion
- 2 cloves, minced garlic
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 4 cups broth
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
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Equipment for this recipe
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Instructions
- Step 1: In a large pot, sauté onion and garlic in 1 tbsp oil for 5 minutes until softened. Add tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes.
- Step 2: Stir in rice, saffron, and 1/2 cup broth. Cook for 2 minutes, then add remaining broth, 1 tbsp lemon zest, and 1 tbsp oil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Step 3: Add shrimp and mussels, cover, and cook for 8-10 minutes until seafood is opaque. Garnish with remaining lemon zest.
