Got the dregs of a jar of marinara sauce in the back of your refrigerator? Use it to make this weeknight-friendly, one-skillet shrimp dinner. Store-bought sauce, chopped roasted red peppers, and lots of garlic create a flavorful base that’s used to cook rice—in a method that’s a riff on traditional paella cooking, as well as rice. The process for making pilaf or pelou borrows some influences from it. A few minutes before the rice is done, you’ll add the seasoned shrimp on top to cook gently (no rubbery seafood here!). The final touch is a sunny, saffron-scented mayonnaise dolloped on top along with a scattering of parsley for a lasting bit of freshness.
Cook’s Note: Short-grain rice—like bomba, arborio, or carnaroli—is key here; It retains a bit of texture as it cooks and doesn’t break or twist in the pan like jasmine.