Authentic Spanish Fideuà Recipe (original) (raw)

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This authentic Fideuà recipe is similar to paella, but with golden noodles instead of rice. It's a flavorful, one-pan meal that we all quickly fell in love with.

Meet Fideuà: Spain’s pasta version of Paella!

As much as my family loves traditional paella, they love it's sister, Fideuà even more! This is so popular in the Catalonian region of Spain and we are in love! It's usually cooked in a large paella pan, but I’ve adapted my recipe to use a regular 12” skillet, so anyone can make it in their kitchen. It's essential to use the right type of short, thin pasta for Spanish Fideua; number 2 or 3 fideo noodles. You can get them online if your grocery store doesn't carry them.

Don't miss the other recipes I developed while living in Spain, like Patatas Bravas, pan con tomate, tortilla de patatas, and crema catalana.

How to make Fideuà:

Cook Noodles and Veggies: Cut stem off the tomato then use a box grater to grate the tomato flesh into a bowl (stop when you're only left with the outer skin). Heat 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil in 12’inch skillet over medium heat. Add fideos and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly so they don’t burn, until they turn golden. Remove to a bowl and set aside. Add remaining 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil to pan then toss in the onion and bell pepper and sauté for 3 minutes. Dump in garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.

Add Seasoning and Chicken: Stir in grated tomato, paprika, saffron, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the tomato liquid has cooked out. Add chicken pieces and cook for 3-4 minutes flipping once. Return the toasted fideos to the pan and stir to combine. Spread mixture into an even layer across the pan. Slowly drizzle 2 ½ cups broth evenly all over the top.

Do not stir now or at all after this point. Press the pasta into the water as best you can with the back of your cooking spoon, but again, don’t stir!

Cook: Bring mixture a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until noodles are tender and broth has cooked out. Shake the pan back and forth once or twice during cooking. After about 10 minutes of simmering nestle seafood into the noodles. Shake the pan back and forth once or twice during cooking. If the noodles on top still appear dry in places, drizzle with a little additional broth.

Rest & Serve: Remove from heat, cover pan with a lid or large kitchen towel and rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and lemon slices. Serve this authentic fideuà recipe immediately (in Spain you put the pan directly on the table and people scoop from the pan onto their plate.) Serve with a green salad, and crusty bread.

• ▢ 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• ▢ 1 small onion, , diced

• ▢ 1 medium red bell pepper, , or green, finely diced

• ▢ 3 cloves garlic, , minced

• ▢ 2 small Roma tomatoes, , grated

• ▢ 1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika

• ▢ 1 small pinch saffron threads

• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• ▢ 3/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, and fresh seafood*

• ▢ 3/4 lb raw seafood like shrimp, mussels, clams or calamari, (or omit and use 1 ½ lbs chicken)

• ▢ 1 1/2 cups dry fideos noodles*, (135g), (No. 2 or No. 3), about 7 ounces (do not use Mexican version fideos)

• ▢ 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, (590g), or a little more if needed

• Grate Tomatoes: Cut stem from tomato and use the large holes of the box grater to grate the tomato flesh into a bowl (stop grating when you’re only left with the outer tomato skin).
  2 small Roma tomatoes

• Toast Noodles: Heat 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil in 12 inch skillet over medium heat. Add fideos and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly so they don’t burn, until they turn golden. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
  1 ½ cups dry fideos noodles*

• Sauté Veggies: Add remaining 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil to pan. Add onion and bell pepper then sauté for 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
  1 small onion, 1 medium red bell pepper, 3 cloves garlic, 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• Season: Stir in grated tomato, paprika, saffron, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the tomato liquid has cooked out.
  1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika, 1 small pinch saffron threads, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• Add Chicken: Add chicken pieces and cook for 3-4 minutes, flipping once. Return the toasted fideos to the pan then stir to combine. Spread mixture into an even layer across the pan. Slowly drizzle 2 ½ cups broth evenly all over the top.
  ¾ lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, and fresh seafood*, 2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth

• Do not stir now or at all after this point. Press the pasta into the liquid as best you can with the back of your cooking spoon, but again, don’t stir!

• Cook: Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 15 minutes or until noodles are tender and broth has cooked out.

• Add Seafood after about 10 minutes of simmering,nestling it into the noodles. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes or until seafood is fully cooked and broth is absorbed. Shake the pan back and forth once or twice during cooking. If the noodles on top still appear dry in places, drizzle with a little additional broth.
  ¾ lb raw seafood like shrimp, mussels, clams or calamari

• At the end of cooking, once most of the liquid is absorbed, increase the heat to medium-high for about 1–2 minutes. You’ll hear a faint crackling sound—this means the bottom is crisping up without burning. Careful to keep this step brief, so the noodles don’t burn.

• Rest & Serve: Remove from heat, cover pan with a lid or large kitchen towel and rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and lemon slices. Serve immediately (in Spain you put the pan directly on the table and people scoop from the pan onto their plate.) Serve with a green salad and crusty bread.

Fideos can be found on Amazon or an international market. They have to be no3 or no2 noodles–do not use the Mexican fideos that are used for soup–they are different and not thick enough and will turn mushy with this recipe.

Calories: 316kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 34g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Cholesterol: 97mg, Sodium: 665mg, Potassium: 793mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 1198IU, Vitamin C: 38mg, Calcium: 30mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Published June 21, 2025

Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.