Grate the tomato (make sure it’s ripe), mix it with the 3 minced garlic cloves and chopped parsley (I used dried because I didn’t have fresh). Set this mixture aside.

Rinse the squid, even if they’re pre-cleaned, and slice them into small pieces.

Peel the shrimp and cut them into small pieces too.

Sauté the squid and shrimp. As they cook, they’ll release water. Save the liquid in the same container where you’ll later mix it with hot water.

Add a little more olive oil to the pot and briefly sauté the seafood again, then remove it.

Once the onion is golden, add the tomato-garlic-parsley mix (“la picaeta”). The acidity of the tomato will help loosen anything stuck to the bottom—just keep stirring! Add salt now.

Add the smoked paprika and the chopped piquillo peppers (or raw red pepper if you don’t have piquillos), and let everything cook together.

Use a cup to measure the rice and add it to the pot. Stir and sauté it so it absorbs all the flavors.

Now, add the hot water along with the juices you saved earlier from the squid and shrimp (I used hot tap water because it’s safe here 😊). I used a measuring cup marked in cups: I added 2 cups first, then 1 more to make 3 total.

Add the squid and shrimp back in and stir everything well. If you want to use food coloring for a more vibrant color, now’s the time.

Taste for salt and add more if needed. Stir occasionally. Cover the pot with a lid.

After about 20 minutes, it should be ready. I like to taste as I go to make sure it doesn’t overcook, even though I already pre-sautéed the rice.