Spain on a Fork > All Recipes > Main Dishes > Taking Pasta to the Next-Level | Spanish Fideos with Vegetables
All Recipes, Main Dishes / December 25, 2020

Taking Pasta to the Next-Level | Spanish Fideos with Vegetables

These Spanish Fideos with Vegetables, known in Spain as Fideos con Verdudas, is truly an exquisite pasta dish. Packed with Spanish flavors, super easy to make and it´s all done using just one pan. The perfect dish for a busy weeknight or a relaxed weekend lunch.


My family has been making this dish for decades, and we specially enjoy it during the holiday season. But let me tell you, I eat this dish all year-round, because it is so good. You can serve it as a side dish next to a protein, or even as a main course next to a salad.


The pasta noodles that I used to make this dish are Spanish fideos. These are basically short cut spaghetti noodles, very popular here in Spain. Barilla makes some that are very similar, which are easily available online or at your local supermarket.


TIPS & TRICKS to Make this Recipe: What takes this dish to the next-level is frying the pasta noodles in olive oil. You want to brown them but not burn them. This gives the pasta noodles an incredible texture and flavor. Make sure to cut all the veggies into large chunks, as it gives dish a better texture. I used a paella pan to cook this dish, but you can use any type of large frying pan.

Key Ingredients & Cookware I used in this Recipe:
MY SWISS DIAMON FRYING PANS
SHORT THING PASTA NOODLES
SAFFRON THREADS
SWEET SMOKED SPANISH PAPRIKA
EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
SPANISH SEA SALT

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Watch the Video Below on How to Make Spanish Fideos with Vegetables

3 from 1 vote
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Spanish Fideos with Vegetables

Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Spanish
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 4
Author Albert Bevia @ Spain on a Fork

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 88 ml
  • 2 cups short thin pasta noodles ¨Spanish fideos¨ 200 grams
  • 1/2 onion roughly chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
  • 1/2 red bell pepper cut into big chunks
  • 1/2 green bell pepper cut into big chunks
  • 1 large tomato finely grated
  • 1 tsp sweet smoked Spanish paprika 2.30 grams
  • 1/4 tsp saffron threads .17 grams
  • 2 1/2 cups cold water 593 ml
  • sea salt & black pepper
  • handful freshly chopped parsley

Instructions

  1. Heat a large fry pan with a medium-high heat and add in 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, after 60 to 90 seconds add in 2 cups of short thin pasta noodles ¨fideos¨, and start mixing them with the olive oil, make sure to mix them continuously, that way they don´t burn and they all evenly fry, after 2 1/2 to 3 minutes and the pasta noodles have a brown fried color to them (don´t blacken the noodles or they will have a bitter flavor), remove them from the pan, reserving the olive oil in the pan

  2. Using the same pan with the same oil, add in 1/2 onion roughly chopped, 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced and 1/2 red & 1/2 green bell pepper cut into big chunks, mix the vegetables with the olive oil, after 6 minutes and the vegetables have a light fried golden color, add in 1 tomato that has been finely grated, 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika, 1/4 tsp saffron threads, a pinch of sea salt & black pepper, mix together and cook for 2 minutes, then add in the fried pasta noodles back into the pan, mix together and add in a generous 2 1/2 cups of cold water, lightly season the water with sea salt, give it one last mix so everything is evenly distributed, after this step you don´t want to mix the pasta again, otherwise it will lose its incredible texture

  3. After simmering for about 8 minutes and a lot of the water has been incorporated into the pasta noodles, lower the fire to a low-medium heat, simmer for another 3 to 5 minutes or until all the water has been incorporated into the pasta noodles, then hit it back to a medium-high heat and go for 60 seconds, remove the pan from the heat, cover with a dishcloth and let it rest for 3 to 4 minutes, uncover the pan, garnish with freshly chopped parsley, serve at once, enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Get the Saffron Threads I used to make this Spanish Pasta

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6 Comments

  1. Davide

    3 stars
    Thanks for this recipe, which I’ll be doing soon. But now that you’re back in Spain, don’t you think you should drop the ‘cups’ and ‘tbsp’ and be metric like everyone else in Europe. Wait! You’re writing for an american audience. Sorry, I didn’t get that.

    11 . Oct . 2023
    • Spain on a Fork

      I actually now do both metric and imperial, for all walks around the world 🙂 Much love

      12 . Oct . 2023
  2. Doug

    Just made this and it was absolutely delicious and very easy to make. We like your recipes all tasty and very Spanish ?

    09 . Mar . 2021
    • Spain on a Fork

      So happy to hear that! thanks for the comment Doug 🙂 much love

      09 . Mar . 2021
  3. Clarence Bolin

    Merry Christmas to our wonderful family in Spain. Albert we love your what you are doing, keep it up, hope you and the family have the best New Year possible.
    Uncle Clary

    25 . Dec . 2020
    • Spain on a Fork

      Love you all! Happy holidays and stay safe 🙂

      27 . Dec . 2020

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