Skip to main content

Spanish Shrimp and Rice with Saffron Mayo

3.3

(3)

A skillet of shrimp and rice with saffron mayo alongside
Photograph by Heami Lee, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Maggie DiMarco

Got the dregs of a jar of marinara sauce sulking in the back of your refrigerator? Use it to make this weeknight-friendly, one-skillet shrimp dinner. Store-bought sauce, chopped roasted red peppers, and plenty of garlic form a flavorful base used for cooking rice—in a method that’s a riff on traditional paella cooking, borrowing some influence from the process for making rice pilaf or pelau as well. A few minutes before the rice is done, you’ll add seasoned shrimp on top to cook through gently (no rubbery seafood here!). The final touch is a sunny, saffron-scented mayonnaise for dolloping on top alongside a scattering of parsley for a lasting bit of freshness.

Cook's Note: Short-grain rice—like bomba, arborio, or carnaroli—is key here; it maintains a bit of texture as it cooks and doesn’t break or turn to mush in the pan like jasmine might.

Read More
This quick shrimp stir-fry pairs earthy turmeric with a plethora of dill for a flavorful and fresh dinner that comes together in a flash.
Dive into this shareable skillet with warm flatbread.
Tingly, salty, and irresistibly crunchy, this salt-and-pepper shrimp with cubes of crispy polenta (yes, from those tubes!) is a weeknight MVP.
With lightning-quick shrimp and an easy garlic butter sauce, this crowd-pleasing pasta builds flavor fast.
Inspired by Korean pajeon, this shrimp-studded pancake features fresh snap peas as a spring-y addition.
This speedy Spanish dish of shrimp cooked in olive oil and garlic can be a main or appetizer. It all depends on how you dress it up.
The original surf-and-turf, this rustic Spanish dish combines tender seafood and beefy meatballs in a thick, savory stew.
With flash-seared squid, tomatoes, olives, parsley, and a tangy lemon vinaigrette.