Full of spice and exotic flavors, this Cuban take on the classic Spanish paella is an easy way to feed a hungry crowd. Don’t worry if you have leftovers. They can easily be rewarmed in a microwave or combined with eggs to make a Spanish tortilla (omelet); or for a great cold dish, toss the leftover rice with cooked vegetables and a vinaigrette made with lime juice instead of vinegar.

Makes 10 servings, about 1 1/3 cups each

ACTIVE TIME: 1 hour

TOTAL TIME: 1 3/4 hours

EASE OF PREPARATION: Moderate

1/4 cup paprika
1/4 cup lime juice
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons rum (optional)
2 teaspoons minced garlic plus 2 tablespoons chopped garlic, divided
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 pounds boneless pork chops (3/4-1 inch thick), trimmed, cut into cubes
2 cups chopped onion
2 cups arborio rice or short-grain brown rice
2 14-ounce cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads (see Note) [missing note]
16 large raw shrimp (21-25 per pound), peeled and deveined (optional)
2 cups frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, or cooked green beans, fresh or frozen, thawed
1/2 cup roasted red peppers, cut into strips

1. Combine paprika, lime juice, 2 tablespoons oil, rum (if using), 2 teaspoons minced garlic, oregano, salt, pepper and cumin in a medium bowl, stirring to make a homogeneous paste. Add pork and stir to coat.
2. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the pork, leaving any excess spice mixture in the bowl to add later. Cook the pork, stirring, until just cooked on the outside and the spices are very fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the pork to a plate.
3. Add onion and the remaining 2 tablespoons garlic to the pan and cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring, until well coated with the onion mixture. Stir in broth, tomatoes, capers, saffron and any remaining spice mixture. (If using brown rice, also add 3/4 cup water now.) Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer; cook, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes for arborio, 30 minutes for brown rice.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F.
5. Stir shrimp (if using) and artichokes (or green beans) into the rice. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Stir in the pork and any accumulated juices from the plate; scatter roasted peppers on top. Cover and continue baking until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed (if you’ve added shrimp, they should be opaque and pink), 10 to 15 minutes more.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 257 calories; 9 g fat (2 g sat, 5 g mono); 40 mg cholesterol; 26 g carbohydrate; 19 g protein; 5 g fiber; 249 mg sodium; 414 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (40% daily value), Vitamin C (35% dv), Selenium (32% dv), Folate (17% dv).

1 1/2 Carbohydrate Servings

Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 2 lean meat, 1 fat

TIP: Note: Saffron is the dried stigma of a saffron crocus. It contributes a pungent flavor and intense yellow color to classic dishes like paella. Saffron is sold in threads and powdered form.

We made this for friends who loved it. We also left out the capers, and made it with chicken rather than pork. We also made it on the grill as we usually do for paella with short grain brown rice. It was really delicious. The spice paste made me nervous at first that it would be overspiced, but it was excellent!

Victoria, MD

I loved this recipe. The flavor is great. My kids even liked it a lot. The shrimp really adds good texture. I left out the capers.

Anonymous, Pueblo, CO

This dish was delicious! I'm going to make it for my mom from Nicaragua when she comes to visit. Its distinctly Latin flavors will be sure to please her.

Rockermom, McMinnville, OR

Don't let the lengthy list of ingredients deter you from making this delicious dish. I didn't add the shrimp because i didn't have any on hand, otherwise, i made it exactly as printed. The pork was so tender we didn't need to use knives. Highly recommended.

Marjorie, East Windsor, NJ

This recipe was amazing and fairly easy. I did it in a rice cooker but the rice was watery and the pork didn't fit as i used a small rice cooker, (i could've used my bigger one but i didn't know) however i put the watery prepared rice in a wok and added the pork topped with roasted pepper, and it turned out DELICIOUS! My whole family loved it, definetley going to make it again/ :)

Maria, Toronto