Travel Spain's Greatest Hits: the Recipes to Make Now By Food & Wine Editors Updated on September 21, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Christopher Testani Lusty platters of paella, coral-pink gazpacho, luscious empanadas, silky tortillas: These are the elemental dishes we crave the moment we touch down in Spain. This collection of quintessential Spanish recipes is here to take you on the culinary tour, guiding you in the kitchen to bring these classics home. 01 of 11 Vegetable Tortilla Christopher Testani What would happen if tortilla de patatas, Spain's adored potato omelet, were to suddenly vanish? The entire nation would grieve the loss of its ultimate comfort food. The key to a Spanish tortilla is technique: frying the potatoes in plenty of oil until they're silky; a high ratio of filling to egg; and the all-important vuelta — the dramatic flip — which results in a thick disk that's perfectly golden on both sides. Get the Recipe 02 of 11 Cherry Gazpacho Christopher Testani Along with corridas (bullfights) and the wail of flamenco, thirst-quenching coral-pink gazpacho is the defining image of Andalusia, Spain's sultry southernmost region. The definitive postmodern version was created by Andalusian whiz-kid chef Dani García: Hot pink and cherry-based, it has a funky accent of anchovies, a bright note of basil oil, pistachios for texture, and a flourish of tangy cheese "snow." Get the Recipe 03 of 11 Gambas al Ajillo Christopher Testani This three-ingredient miracle of shrimp simmered in garlicky olive oil is one of Spain's most castizo (rootsy) tapas, made to order at countless rustic taverns countrywide but most appreciated in Madrid and the south. The shrimp is tender and flavorful, and mopping up the garlicky, herby oil with bread is a must. Get the Recipe 04 of 11 Romesco Sauce Christopher Testani Pungent with fried garlic and vinegar, ruddy red from dried chiles, and textured with toasted nuts and pulverized bread, romesco is a Catalan treasure in sauce form. A good romesco tastes awesome with anything, from boiled potatoes to grilled seafood to pristine stalks of asparagus — or on its own, with a spoon. Get the Recipe 05 of 11 Pork Belly, Shrimp, and Pickled Tomato Pintxos Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Pintxos are the Basque region's answer to tapas. These simple, one-bite snacks are quick to assemble and grill just as your guests arrive. Sticky-sweet pork belly, tender, meaty shrimp, and bright, quick-pickled tomato variations offer something for everyone. Get the Recipe 06 of 11 Chicken and Pork Paella Christopher Peter Testani Before it became a kitschy-yellow symbol of Spain and the world's most celebrated — and misunderstood — rice dish, paella was a strictly regional masterpiece deeply rooted in the Mediterranean province of Valencia. The term "paella" describes both the flat steel pan and dish of rice layered thin in that pan with well-browned chunks of rabbit (or duck), chicken, snails, and a small handful of vegetables, all cooked in a broth bolstered with a tomato sofrito. Get the Recipe 07 of 11 Fabada (Spanish Bean Stew with Chorizo and Blood Sausage) Christopher Testani One can construct an informative map of Spain from all its regional bean stews, but it's the Asturian fabada that's enshrined in the legume hall of fame. For that, give thanks to fabes, the region's large, amazingly creamy white beans, and also to the fact that Asturias is home to Spain's best embutidos (cured and smoked porkstuffs), which form the fabada's meaty base. More elegant and a lot easier to prepare than French cassoulet, a good fabada exemplifies the simple beauty of Spanish cuisine. Get the Recipe 08 of 11 Albóndigas with Mushrooms Christopher Testani Devoured at tapas bars, passed around at cocktail parties, enjoyed for Sunday supper, albóndigas are the embodiment of Spain's carnivorous vigor — especially as served at bullfighting taverns — and at the same time a nostalgic tribute to mamá (whose meatballs are, obviously, always the best). The classic pan-Spanish recipe? It usually features albóndigas in a salsa Española: a sauce of pan drippings, carrots, flour, a bit of tomato, and a splash of white wine. Get the Recipe 09 of 11 Empanadillas Gallegas Whitney Anderson The empanada Gallega is a beauty: a golden pastry, in a rectangle or round, often decorated with elaborate dough designs and cradling a moist, glossy filling — chicken, pork, or that beautiful Galician seafood, depending on the cook's preferences. The one constant is a sofrito of onions and peppers cooked in olive oil until sweet and nearly jam-like, which gives empanada fillings their luscious texture. This recipe makes smaller, crescent-shaped empanadillas. Get the Recipe 10 of 11 Burnt Caramel Flan Romulo Yanes Of all the rich, eggy sweets perfected by nuns in medieval Spanish convents and then exported to the New World, flan became the most popular by far. Related to crema Catalana, with its brittle caramelized sugar on top, a good flan is all about the primal pleasure of spooning the dark, bittersweet caramel sauce over the milky, jiggly custard. Get the Recipe 11 of 11 Pulpo a la Gallega (Grilled Octopus with Potatoes) Christopher Testani For hundreds of years, merchants from the province of Léon traded between the maritime villages of Galicia and inland Spain. On feast days, they'd cook ingredients from their travels, and in the town of Melide, on a route where pimentón, olive oil, and octopus all came together, this celebratory dish was born. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit