| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 1 hr 7 min |
| Prep: | 20 min |
| Cook: | 47 min |
| Yield: | 8 to 10 servings |
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 2 pounds total
- Finely ground sea salt, preferably gray salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 ounces spicy dried Italian sausage, cut crosswise into 1/8-inch slices (quartered if large)
- 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
- 3 1/2 teaspoons Spanish paprika, divided
- 2 tablespoons whole fresh oregano leaves
- 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
- 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
- 3 cups arborio rice
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1 small can (12 ounces) peeled crushed tomatoes (or 1 pound fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded or quartered)
- 1 teaspoon saffron
- Pepperoncini, for serving
Instructions
- Remove the tenderloins (small muscle on the underside) from the chicken breasts. Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Cut all the chicken into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
- Heat the oil in a large ovenproof pot over high heat. When the oil is almost smoking, add the chicken. Cook until well browned on 2 sides, turning once, 6 to 7 minutes total. Add the sausage to the pan. Cook for 10 seconds.
- Season the shrimp with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add the shrimp to the pan, stir once then cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika and the oregano. Pour the mixture onto a baking sheet to cool.
- Return the pan to high heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery. Pour the juices from the baking sheet into the pan. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until the vegetables are soft, but not brown, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Raise the heat to high. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and remaining 2 teaspoons paprika. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rice. Stir to evenly coat the grains with oil. Cook for 1 minute. Add the stock and bring it up to a simmer. Add the tomatoes and stir to incorporate. Sprinkle in the saffron. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed. Cook until the liquid comes back to a simmer. Cover and put the pan in the oven. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven. Return the chicken, sausage, and shrimp to the pan. Cover the pan again and put it back in the oven to cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until everything is warm.
- Serve the paella warm with a bowl of pepperoncini on the side. Invite guest to add a couple pepperoncini to the servings and drizzle some of their vinegar on the paella.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 10 servings |
| Calories | 569 |
| Total Fat | 18 g |
| Saturated Fat | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 60 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 5 g |
| Protein | 41 g |
| Cholesterol | 157 mg |
| Sodium | 1030 mg |
Reviews
This was so good, and easy to make! But, it does make a lot, so if you aren’t feeding a bunch, you nay want to cut it down. Highly recommend this recipe.
Great review and if its Italian it should just be called “Risotto ai Frutti di Mare” or “risotto ai frutti di mare in padella”… which is much older and more original than any Spanish paella anyways?
This is awesome! It’s not regular paella, but it’s fabulous!! Great meal with a good bottle of wine and wonderful friends! Great meal for entertaining! I’ve made it several times and it’s always delicious!
So Fantastic! This is my go to recipe if I have company coming over and want to impress them. I do like my rice more cooked so I don’t stir after I dump it in.
It really saddens me that people have it a one star just because of the name. This really is a wonderful recipe!!!
It really saddens me that people have it a one star just because of the name. This really is a wonderful recipe!!!
When I read the name of this recipe I was very ungry, but when I cooked I was more. Sorry Michael Italian Paella is not Paella. Paella is a tipical food from the east coast of Spain. Paella of course do not have chorizo or sausage. rice vegetables,sea food, chicken and rabit are some of the originial paella ingredients. Maybe you think that if you write italian like “last name! of Paella sounds healthy, better and cool, but you forget that actually Spaniard nor Spanish food and chef are the best in the world. Please, if you want to put a name to this food you can call it Italian Rice or something like that, only out of respect for a traditional meal of more than 500 years of history
Starnightblahblahblah… you’re an idiot. It’s called “Paella Italiana” to indicate that it’s NOT Spanish paella, but a take on the same idea using Italian ingredients. Get over yourself, seriously. If anything, it’s a compliment to Spanish cuisine that someone would want to try it in new ways. So get off your high horse and try some new dishes; you might enjoy it! I deffo recommend whole wheat for you though… seems like you need the fiber.
Yum yum yum… Using sweet sausage and leaving out the pepperoncini definitely affected the flavor. Hot Italian sauasge is the way to go, definitely! So much better. This dish is fabulous with it, although I also recommend using some hot Hungarian paprika (either instead of or in addition to the Spanish variety) if you like heat. Yummy!
Very tasty, but I thought it needed just a dash of hot sauce. However, I used sweet Italian sausage instead of spicy, so maybe that was the difference. I did not use the pepperocini because I didnt have any on hand. All in all, I will definitely make again.
I am surprised at some of the comments saying it’s not “real paella”. The title is Paella italiana! Its a spin on paella, with different tastes and ingredients giving it an Italian twist. Cooking is all about blending cultures and dishes, so chill out people!
This dish tastes great! And its really easy to make. I make it all the time and my whole family looooves it, including my really finicky brother! 🙂 You’ve got to try it!
This dish tastes great! And its really easy to make. I make it all the time and my whole family looooves it, including my really finicky brother! 🙂 You’ve got to try it!
Paella is not an Italian dish. It is insulting to Spanish to say that it is an Italian dish. Italians have 100’s of great recipes. Leave the Spanish paella alone. Michael Chiarello should be ashamed of himself.
It was just devine!!!!!!
Thanks Mike,
Clara
Miami, Fl