½cup1-inch or so pieces of spaghetti, thin spaghetti, or vermicelli (angel hair pasta)
1cuplong grain white rice
2cupsless-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
½teaspoonkosher salt, or to taste
Instructions
In a large saucepan, melt the butter along with the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for about 4 minutes until it softens and turns golden. Add the pasta and rice and cook, stirring frequently, for about 4 minutes until the pasta is a bit toasted, the rice is opaque, and everything smells toasty.
Add the broth and ½ teaspoon salt, bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to medium low, cover the pan, and allow the mixture to simmer until just about all of the liquid has been absorbed and the rice and pasta are just barely cooked though, about 15 to 17 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let sit, covered, for another 10 minutes.
Remove the lid and fluff the pilaf with a fork. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve hot.
Notes
Plain rice is usually cooked in water and has a very mild flavor. Rice pilaf involves the rice being cooked in a bit of fat (a combo butter and oil here) and some aromatics (in this case onion), then the broth is added and it cooks the rest of the way through much like regular rice. There is a whole lot more flavor in pilaf, thanks to the sauteing of the rice (and the pasta) before it is combined with the liquid. Plus the liquid is usually broth, or diluted broth, which adds lots more flavor to the rice dish.