Instructions

1. For the paella, heat vegetable broth in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Break up the saffron and add to the broth. When the broth comes to a simmer, reduce heat to low to keep the broth warm.
2. Heat the first 2 tablespoons of oil in a 12 to 15-inch Paella pan (or large wide flat bottomed stainless steel pan…not a non-stick pan) over medium heat. Add onions and peppers; sauté until softened and onions are lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes, paprika, and turmeric, cooking another 1-2 minutes stirring frequently.
4. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the rice. Stir to coat well, cooking for 1 minute to incorporate flavors.
5. Slowly pour in the hot broth. Add the salt and pepper. Gently move the vegetables around so the rice falls evenly to the bottom of the pan as much as possible. Do not stir after this point as stirring will cause the rice to release starches and become creamy. Increase heat to medium-high. When broth comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium or medium-low and cook at a continuous gentle boil, uncovered, for 20 minutes. If using a large paella pan (15 inches or so) you’ll want to rotate the pan over the burner every so often so the rice cooks evenly. We made 2 batches. Our batch with Bomba rice was done in 20 minutes. The batch with "paella rice" from Whole Foods Market took an additional 10 minutes. It was necessary to add about 1/4 cup additional broth to the latter batch.
6. For the roasted vegetables, preheat oven to 400-degrees F.
7. Line 2 baking pans with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, toss the carrots with ½ teaspoon oil and a dash of salt and arrange in a single layer in the first baking pan.
8. Using the same bowl, toss the mushrooms with ½ teaspoon oil and a dash of salt and arrange across half of the second baking pan.
9. Toss the zucchini with the remaining ½ teaspoon oil and salt and arrange on the other half of the pan next to the mushrooms.
10. Place in the oven and set your timer for 10 minutes. The mushrooms and zucchini will take about 10-15 minutes to roast. Remove the mushrooms and zucchini when they are tender, but not overcooked. Continue to roast the carrots for a total of about 15-20 minutes, removing from oven when crisp tender. Feel free to use whatever vegetables you’d like.
11. If you like the socarrat (caramelized layer of toasted rice at the bottom of the pan), at the end of cooking, turn up the heat to medium-high for about 3 minutes, rotating the pan as needed, until you start to hear a snap, crackle, pop and the bottom layer of rice is well browned and crisp.
12. Socarrat or not, remove from heat and sprinkle the peas and roasted vegetables over the rice, without mixing them in. Cover with foil and let the paella rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with a sprinkle of chopped parsley, if desired and serve with lemon wedges on the side.