Description
Everyone says my husband John makes the best rice, and this is his recipe. It’s a simple but flavorful Colombian-style rice featuring onion, garlic, and toasted pasta, similar to a rice pilaf or arroz con fideo, and it pairs perfectly with any weeknight main dish.
Ingredients
- 1/2 small yellow onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 cup fideo / fidelini pasta (see note)
- 2 cups long-grain rice, rinsed and drained
- 3-1/2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
Instructions
- Using a small food chopper or processor, chop the onion and garlic until finely minced.
- Heat the oil in a medium to large pot over medium. Once hot, add the dried pasta and toast until the pasta is light golden brown. Remove the pasta from the pot and set aside.
- Add the minced onion mixture and sauté for 3 minutes until just beginning to soften.
- Add the rice, water, butter, and salt and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Cover and reduce the temperature to the lowest heat possible and cook for 15 minutes.
- If you’d like to make a pega, you can leave the rice on low heat without the cover for an additional 10-15 minutes.
- Shut off the heat and let sit for a few minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve.
- To serve the pega, scrape the rice from the bottom of the pot.
Notes
Fideo and fidelini are thin, short pasta, typically about 1 to 2 inches long. If you don’t have them, you can make your own by breaking angel hair pasta into short pieces. Fideo and fidelini pasta can typically be found in the pasta aisle or the international foods section of most grocery stores, often near other specialty pastas. In some stores, they may also be located in the Hispanic or Italian food sections.
A "pega" is the crispy, caramelized layer of rice that forms at the bottom of the pot during cooking. This delicious treat is highly prized for its texture and flavor. It’s my husband’s favorite part of the rice, and in his family they lovingly argue over who gets to eat it. To achieve it, cook your rice as usual, then reduce the heat to low once it’s nearly done and let it cook undisturbed for about 10-15 minutes. For an extra crispy pega, add an additional tablespoon of fat (either oil or butter) in with the water mixture before bringing it to a boil.
To bump up the flavor even more, use chicken or veggie stock in place of some or all of the water.