On Gourmand Breaks Barcelona cooking classes we frequently prepare this delicious local dish as as a main course, it is an original  alternative to the well-known paella.

Ingredients

• 10 oz. fideos (or angel hair broken into 2″ pieces)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium-size onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 large ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 12 small clams or mussels, scrubbed under cold water
• 6 oz shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 6 oz scallops (large ones cut into quarters, small ones cut in half or left whole)
• 8 oz monkfish or other firm white fish, cut on the diagonal into 1/2-inch slices (up to)
• 3 cups fish or chicken stock or bottled clam broth, or as needed
• 1/4 tsp saffron threads
• salt, freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (for garnish)

Scrub the clams under running water to remove grit and sand. Place in a bowl; cover with salted water; soak for 30 minutes. Drain, rinse, and set aside. Then get the pasta and break it into 2-inch pieces and set aside. Toast saffron in a small skillet over medium heat for 1 minute, then aside to crumble into fideua later.

Heat oil in paella pan or large skillet at 14” in size. Add onion and garlic and cook over medium heat until soft and translucent but not brown, about 4 minutes.

Add tomatoes and paprika and cook until all liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.

Stir in clams, shrimp. scallops and monkfish and saute 1 minute. Add 2 1/2 cups fish stock with crumbled saffron and bring to boil. Stir in pasta and return to boil. Reduce heat and cook, without stirring, over medium heat until noodles are tender, 20-25 minutes (Discard mussels or clams that do not open).

Preheat broiler. Brown fideua briefly under broiler, then cool for 5 minutes. Sprinkle parsley over it, then serve directly from pan at table.

Makes 4 servings