Paella

Paella often looks like a big deal, but in its soul it is rice with good stuff in it, and that stuff can be anything. (The common restaurant paella is just one interpretation.) This version relies on good tomatoes, but you can use eggplant, root vegetables, or winter squash, or improvise in other ways: substitute a few scallops or mussels for the sausage, for example. For a vegetarian version, skip the sausage and shrimp; toss slices of eggplant, zucchini, mushroom caps, or carrots in some olive oil; and set them on top of the rice to roast.

To use white rice here, reduce the oven time by about half.

3½ cups any stock, or water, plus more if needed

Pinch saffron threads (optional)

1 pound ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into thick wedges

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 teaspoons Spanish pimentón (smoked paprika), or other paprika

3 ounces Spanish chorizo or other cooked or smoked sausage, cut into ¼-inch pieces (optional)

2 cups short-grain brown rice

6 large peeled shrimp; or 2 boneless chicken thighs, cut into

½-inch chunks (optional)

1 cup fresh or frozen peas

Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish

1 Heat the oven to 450°F. Warm the stock, and the saffron if you’re using it, in a small saucepan. Put tomatoes in a medium bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and drizzle them with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Toss to coat.

2 Put the remaining oil in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until it softens, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, paprika, and chorizo if you’re using it, and cook for a minute more.

3 Add the rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until it’s shiny, another minute or two. Carefully add the warm stock and stir until just combined, then stir in the shrimp and peas.

4 Put the tomato wedges on top of the rice and drizzle with the juices that accumulated in the bottom of the bowl. Put the pan in the oven and bake, undisturbed, for 30 minutes. Check to see if the rice is nearly dry and just tender. If not, return the pan to the oven for 5 minutes, check again, and repeat if necessary. If the rice looks too dry at any point, but still isn’t quite done, add a small amount of stock or water. When the rice is ready, turn off the oven and let it sit for at least 5 and up to 15 minutes.

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