• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Champagne Tastes®
  • About
  • Travel
    • Food Travel
    • Outdoor Adventure
  • Recipes
    • Garden To Table
    • Seafood
    • Camping Recipes
    • Ferment
    • Backyard Foraging + Wild Game
    • Cooking Basics
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • Garden To Table
  • Seafood
  • Ferment
  • Foraging + Wild Game
  • Cooking Basics
  • Camping Recipes
  • Outdoor Adventure
  • Food Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Garden To Table

    Fra Diavolo Sauce

    Published: Nov 8, 2020 · Modified: Oct 23, 2023 · 5 Comments

    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe Save Recipe Saved!

    This fra diavolo sauce is a spicy Italian tomato sauce made with fresh or canned tomatoes, red chili flakes, and oregano. It pairs perfectly with pasta and seafood!

    Fra Diavolo Sauce in a Pan

    One of my goals in 2020 is to make more foods from scratch.

    That includes pasta sauce.

    This summer, I made batch after batch of classic marinara sauce, yellow tomato marinara, and red wine pasta sauce.

    As the weather turned cooler, I started making winter squash sauces like this acorn squash pasta sauce.

    Recently, though, I've been craving something a little spicier.

    This homemade fra diavolo sauce is an easy version of the classic Italian sauce, and is perfect for both pasta and seafood.

    Want more pasta ideas? Try this butternut squash lasagna, lemon spinach pasta, pasta con le sarde, scallop alfredo and seafood macaroni and cheese.

    What Does Fra Diavolo Mean?

    It's Italian for "brother devil" or "devil monk" and refers to a spicy Italian pasta sauce.

    Fra diavolo sauce is generally served with pasta or seafood. I love shrimp fra diavolo, scallop fra diavolo, and mixed seafood fra diavolo!

    How Spicy Is This Fra Diavolo Sauce?

    It definitely has a little bit of a kick.

    If you were ordering takeout, I'd call this a medium or a hot, depending on how spicy your chili flakes are.

    That said, you can definitely adjust the recipe to your heat-level preferences by using fewer chili flakes. Or use more chili flakes if you like things extra-hot.

    Can I Preserve This Sauce for Later?

    You sure can!

    Store it in the fridge for up to six days or freeze it for up to a year.

    This sauce has not been tested for canning.

    Can I Use Canned Tomatoes?

    Yes, absolutely!

    Both fresh and canned tomatoes will work perfectly.

    This sauce also works well with frozen tomatoes, but you should thaw them before cooking.

    The tomatoes in the photos are fire-roasted tomatoes that I froze earlier this year.

    How to Make Fra Diavolo Sauce

    Start by adding olive oil, a diced onion, red chili flakes and sea salt to a large pan. I use this Lodge 12" carbon steel skillet.

    When the onions soften, add some garlic.

    Cook Onions + Garlic in Oil
    Cook Onions, Peppers + Garlic in Oil

    Next, add the tomatoes, water and dried oregano.

    Bring it to a simmer and continue simmering until most of the water has evaporated and the sauce thickens, about 20 minutes.

    Add Tomatoes, Water + Oregano
    Add Tomatoes, Water + Oregano
    Simmer Fra Diavolo Sauce Until Thickened
    Simmer Until Thickened

    Taste the sauce. If the seasoning needs adjusted, do it now.

    Finally, toss your favorite pasta in the fra diavolo sauce and enjoy!

    Fra Diavolo Sauce in a Pan with Pasta
    Fra Diavolo Sauce in a Pan
    Print Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    4.58 from 7 votes

    Fra Diavolo Sauce

    This fra diavolo sauce is a spicy Italian tomato sauce made with fresh or canned tomatoes, red chili flakes, and oregano. It pairs perfectly with pasta and seafood!
    Author: Sarah Trenalone
    Prep Time5 minutes mins
    Cook Time35 minutes mins
    Total Time40 minutes mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Italian
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Servings: 4 people (½ cup servings)
    Calories: 179kcal
    Freezer Friendly?
    Yes
    Will It Keep?
     6 Days (Fridge), 1 Year (Freezer)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • large heavy skillet (12-inch minimum)

    Ingredients

    • ¼ cup olive oil
    • 1 onion, diced
    • 2 teaspoons red chili flakes Use less for a milder sauce
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 4 garlic cloves, diced
    • 2 pounds fresh tomatoes (diced) or 28oz can diced or crushed tomatoes
    • 1 cup water
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

    Instructions

    • Add the oil, onions, chili flakes and salt to a large, shallow pan. (Use a 12" pan or larger, see recipe notes.)
      Cook the onions over medium heat until they begin to brown (~5 min). Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute, or until the garlic is fragrant.
      Cook Onions, Peppers + Garlic in Oil
    • Add the tomatoes, water, and oregano to the pan. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer.
      Add Tomatoes, Water + Oregano
    • Simmer the tomatoes for 20-25 minutes, or until most of the water has evaporated and the sauce has thickened.
      Taste the sauce and add more chili flakes, salt, or oregano if desired. Simmer 1-2 more minutes if you added more seasoning.
      Serve immediately along with fresh pasta or with seafood, refrigerate and use within 4-6 days, or freeze and use within a year. 
      Fra Diavolo Sauce in a Pan with Pasta

    Notes

    Yields: ~2 cups tomato sauce.
    Pan Size: Some readers have reported that their 12" pans were too small for the volume of sauce. You may find a heavy Dutch oven works best for you, although I've always had success with my 12" carbon steel pan.
    Smoother Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes: Canned tomatoes are peeled, and will yield a smoother sauce with less texture.  If you’re using fresh tomatoes and want an extra-smooth marinara, you have two options:
    1.  Peel the tomatoes first.  Use a knife to mark an X on each tomato, and then blanch them in boiling water until the tomato peel loosens (~15-30 seconds).  Peel, and then proceed with the recipe.  Crush tomatoes with your hands instead of dicing.
    2. Blend the sauce.  After cooking, add the sauce to a blender or use an immersion blender to blend the peels into the sauce.
    Varieties of tomatoes: For the thickest sauce, use San Marzano tomatoes (or other varieties of Roma tomatoes).  However, this recipe works well with juicy tomatoes also.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 179kcal (9%) | Carbohydrates: 13g (4%) | Protein: 3g (6%) | Fat: 14g (22%) | Saturated Fat: 2g (13%) | Sodium: 178mg (8%) | Potassium: 609mg (17%) | Fiber: 4g (17%) | Sugar: 7g (8%) | Vitamin A: 2186IU (44%) | Vitamin C: 34mg (41%) | Calcium: 42mg (4%) | Iron: 1mg (6%)
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!

    More Garden To Table

    • Pesto pasta salad in large bowl with spoon.
      Basil Pesto Pasta Salad
    • Fish coconut curry in bowl with spoon with red onions and basil sprinkled on top.
      Fish Coconut Curry Soup with Noodles
    • Seafood fra diavolo with pasta, seafood, and tomatoes in skillet.
      Seafood Fra Diavolo
    • Seared Tuna Nicoise Salad.
      Seared Tuna Niçoise Salad

    About Sarah Trenalone

    Sarah is the primary creator at Champagne Tastes. She's a photographer, food writer and traveler, and is certified in Backcountry Kitchen and Backcountry Navigation from the Colorado Outward Bound School and Identifying Wild Plants from Backpacker.

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Comment: Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Comments

    All commentsI made this
    1. Meredith

      January 14, 2021 at 6:31 pm

      4 stars
      I tried this out last night and it was great! I did 1/2 the chili flakes because I cant handle too much spice, but probably could have stuck to the 2 tsp as on the recipe without being too much. I also found a 12 inch skillet to be too small for the volume of sauce once it started bubbling/sputtering so I would use something larger or 1/2 the recipe next time. I had it over pasta with some veggies on the side and had plenty for leftovers!

      Reply
      • Sarah Trenalone

        January 14, 2021 at 6:35 pm

        I'm so glad you liked it!! And that's good to know, maybe my 12" is a little larger than it's supposed to be lol. I'll add a note about that in the recipe, thank you!!

        Reply
    2. Daniel

      January 19, 2021 at 10:05 am

      5 stars
      Love the spiciness!

      Reply
    3. Sally

      January 20, 2021 at 9:03 am

      Overall we really liked that it was an unexpected twist to the classic marinara. I used 1 1/2 tsp. red chili pepper flakes. My husband liked it, but I would have preferred 1 tsp. I also used half crushed tomatoes and half diced tomatoes. Next time I will use all crushed as we prefer a thicker sauce that clings to the pasta a bit more. But this recipe will definitely be put into the rotation.

      Reply
    4. Cindy

      January 26, 2022 at 10:45 am

      3 stars
      I made this last night. We love garlic so immediately added a few extra cloves. My Italian sauce loving husband was the first to try it and thought it needed something, I agreed. I added more oregano, some dried celery flakes and Italian seasoning and some red wine. I let it simmer a bit longer and it was much better. We had it with just mussels steamed open in the sauce. It was spicy as fra diavolo should be but if you are someone who doesn't like so much heat, certainly cut back on the crushed red pepper.

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    bio

    Hi, I'm Sarah! I'm a traveler who loves to eat.   Follow along to join me on my next adventure-- in food or on the road.

    Learn More →

    Currently Trending

    • San marzano sauce in a pan
      San Marzano Sauce (Classic Marinara)
    • pan-seared rockfish on a plate
      Pan-Seared Rockfish
    • pan-seared red snapper on plates
      Pan-Seared Red Snapper
    • crab butter sauce on a platter with crab legs
      Crab Butter Sauce

    Footer

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Supplemental Privacy Notice For California Residents
    • Supplemental Privacy Notice For Nevada Residents

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Recipe and Photo Reuse Terms + FAQ

    Copyright ©2015-2023 Champagne Tastes
    All Rights Reserved.