FIDEUA IS VALENCIANO FOR YUMMY SEAFOOD PASTA! MY RECIPE :)

Fideuà (Valencian: [fiðe-wa]) or Fideuada from fideu, Valencian for "noodle") is a dish typical of the Valencian Community, in Spain. It originated in the 1960s in the city of Gandia when thin noodles like vermicelli were used instead of rice in the popular dish paella.

INGREDIENTS:

• Coat the bottom of your pan with extra virgin olive oil
• 1 bag of fideo - which are small macaroni -  4-cm lengths or shorter
• 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic - or more to taste
• 1 pound or 1/2 kilo - small cockles or small clams, well washed
• 1 pound or 1/2 kilo mussels, well washed
• 1 fish stock cube
• 12 large shrimp, shells on
• 8 sea scallops, cut in half through their equators
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• Lemon wedges

PREPARATION:
Put oil in a pan and turn heat to medium-high. A minute later add fideos; sprinkle pepper, and cook, stirring almost constantly, until they darken. Try to avoid letting more than a few pieces blacken.

Add saffron, paprika and garlic, and stir for a minute more. Add clams and mussels and fish broth cute and about 1/2 cup water and continue to cook, stirring. Depending on how much liquid the clams and mussels release, you may have to add a little more liquid. Continue to cook and stir until the pasta is nearly tender, about 10 minutes.

Add shrimps, scallops and parsley and cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cooked through and liquid is dry around the edges of the pan. Serve with lemon wedges.

TO EAT - squeeze lemon wedges on fideua and eat from the pan with a big spoon - that is the true Valencian way :)