Fideuá - a paella alternative

The story goes that somewhere along the Mediterranean coast (Valencia by all counts), a fishing boat cook set out to make the usual onboard meal for the crew: a paella using fish from the day's catch. Turns out there was no rice, so he substituted "fideos", a type of thin pasta, and "fideuá" was born.

I'm not a fan of fishy rice or pasta, so decided to make my own meat & veg version. It ended up being kind of risotto-like, and is now a dish we enjoy often. It cooks up quickly on the stove top and invites all sort of creative intervention. You can even use leftovers...

Ingredients

• 1 cup "fideos" or other small, thin pasta. Orzo or thin spaghetti (chopped) work well.
• 2 or 3 cups stock (veg, chicken, beef, water + boullion cube) heated.
• 1/2 onion (finely chopped)
• Protein: link sausage, chunky bacon, panceta, ground beef or lamb, diced chicken breast...
• 1 cup lightly cooked veg (peas, green beans, garbanzos, your choice)
• Mushrooms (button or other)
• Olive oil, salt, pepper, saffron (or tumeric or pimentón)
• 2 tbsp Philadelphia cream cheese
• White wine

Preparation

• Brown the protein on medium high in 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large frying pan, set aside.
• Cook onion & the mushrooms in the same pan, add a bit of oil if needed.
• When the onion is tender, add the pasta and let it brown a little.
• Add the protein, veg, salt, saffron (6 threads) and a splash of the wine.
• Add a cup of the hot stock, stir, cook on medium. Add stock as needed, and stir like risotto.
• When the pasta is "al dente" (depends on the type of pasta), check for salt, correct as needed, stir in the Philadelphia.
• Remove from heat, if it seems a little dry, stir in some stock - the pasta will continue to absorb liquid, so a little extra won't hurt... Cover and let it rest for a few minutes. Done.

Note:
1. Butter works in place of the Philadelphia, either give the dish a nice creamy texture.
2. As an added extra, grate some cheese on top before serving.
3. Plenty of opportunities to innovate with sun dried tomatoes, spices (chile/cayenne pepper, etc.), other vegetables, cheeses, gratin the top in the oven with cheese or breadcrumbs...
4. Try duck or bacon fat in place of olive oil.

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