Homemade Rice-A-Roni

Preheat a large pot over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes. You want it to get fairly hot so you can caramelize everything well from the beginning!

Once the pot is hot add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the onion and stir to combine. Let the onion cook and caramelize over medium heat for about 6-8 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the remaining olive oil and tomato paste and stir everything together, taking the time to caramelize with the onion and stirring constantly. The process takes about 5-10 minutes.

Add the rice, pasta and garlic and stir everything together. Let the rice and pasta brown for about 3-4 minutes. Add the salt, pepper and chicken stock and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover the pot and cook for 18-20 minutes until the liquid is gone and the rice is done. Remove from the heat and let it sit for about 3-4 minutes before serving!