The goal behind the creation of all Aperitivo Nachos is to make a delicious and flavorful snack or meal, with minimal ingredients and minimal effort. They are a quick and easy dish to bring to a party, or make for yourself after a long day.
These nachos are inspired by the flavors of Spanish Paella. Saffron-infused raclette gets melted over tender and flaky Spanish tortas pieces, all topped with stuffed calamari and a piquillo lemon aioli. While this version of nachos does call for making a simple aioli, it is worth the small effort. It might be the best part of the nachos.
“Paella” Nachos
Makes 1 medium sheet pan worth of nachos
Aioli
- ¼ cup Hellman’s Mayonnaise
- 1 Matiz piquillo pepper, finely diced
- 1 small garlic clove, grated on a microplane
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Nacho Assembly
- 1 package Matiz Tortas de Aceite
- 0.4 – 0.5 pounds Jumi Saffron Raclette
- ½ green or red pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 package Cole’s Stuffed Calamari
- Chopped parsley
- Lemon wedges for garnish
To make the aioli, mix all the ingredients together and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside until nachos are ready.
Preheat oven to 350℉ and line a medium sheet pan with aluminum foil.
Gently break the tortas into pieces (roughly the same size as tortilla chips) and scatter on the lined sheet pan. Remove the rind from the cheese. Using the large holes on a box grater, shred the cheese and scatter on top of the torta pieces. Place the sliced peppers over the cheese and set in the oven. Bake for 5-6 minutes until the cheese is melted.
In the meantime, slice each stuffed calamari into thin rounds.
Remove the pan from the oven and scatter the calamari over the melted cheese and peppers. Drizzle some of the leftover oil from the tin over the nachos and set back in the oven for an additional 1 minute.
Remove the nachos from the oven. Sprinkle on chopped parsley and small dollops of the aioli and serve.
