Spring Vegetable Paella

With an abundance of fresh colors and vegetables including mushrooms, asparagus, spinach and peas, this quick and hands-off spin on paella is perfect for a dinner party celebrating spring.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 8 ounces uncooked sausage links (pork, chicken, rabbit, or duck)
• 1 medium-size (9-ounce) yellow onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
• 4 ounces fresh cremini mushrooms (about 6 mushrooms), quartered
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 4 anchovy filets packed in oil (from 1 [2-ounce] can), drained
• 4 teaspoons garlic cloves, minced (4 teaspoons)
• 2 cups uncooked short-grain white rice (such as Spanish bomba or Italian arborio)
• 4 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped preserved lemon
• 8 ounces fresh pencil-thin asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces (1 1/4 cups)
• 1 cup chopped fresh spinach (1 ounce)
• 1 cup frozen or fresh sweet peas
• 1/2 cup chopped radicchio (from 1 small radicchio)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Prep

Preheat the oven to 400°F before heating 1 tablespoon of oil in a 12-inch oven-safe skillet at medium heat. Cook the sausage for 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally until brown on all sides. Remove the sausage from the heat, but do not wipe the skillet clean. Let cool and then cut into bite-size pieces.

Add the onions and mushrooms to the skillet with the oil and salt and saute until onions are translucent and mushrooms are soft. Push the mixture to the edges of the skillet using a wooden spoon before adding 1 tablespoon of oil to the center of the skillet. Add the anchovies and garlic to the center of the skillet and cook for approximately 1 to 2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant.

Combine the onion and mushrooms with the garlic-anchovy mixture. Return the mixture to the skillet’s rims before adding the final tablespoon of oil in the center. Center the rice in the skillet and toss to coat it with oil.

Stir stock and preserved lemon into mixture in skillet and then add the sausage you set aside. Over medium heat, bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, without stirring, for about 18 minutes, or until rice is almost soft and liquid is almost completely absorbed.

Stir in asparagus, spinach, and peas. Transfer skillet to a preheated oven and bake until rice and vegetables are tender or about 12 to 14 minutes.

Return skillet to the stovetop after carefully removing it from the oven and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, over medium-high until a soccarat (crust) forms on the bottom of the paella. Taking care not to disturb the soccarat at the bottom of the paella, remove from heat and stir in the radicchio. Add parsley on top and serve.