Shrimp Fra Diavolo

5 from 4 votes

This decadent shrimp fra diavolo is made with an easy, homemade spicy tomato sauce, pasta and shrimp. Perfect for date night!

Prep Time5

Cook Time30

Total Time35

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: people

Calories: 956kcal

Author: Sarah Trenalone

Equipment

large heavy skillet (12-inch minimum)

Ingredients

Fra Diavolo Pasta:

¼ cup olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 teaspoons red chili flakes Use less for a milder sauce
¼ teaspoon sea salt
4 garlic cloves, diced
2 pounds fresh tomatoes (diced) or 28oz can diced or crushed tomatoes
1 cup water
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ pound spaghetti Use gluten-free spaghetti if needed

Shrimp:

8 ounces shrimp (4oz per person) Shells removed + shrimp deveined. Tails on or off, as desired.
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

Fra Diavolo Sauce:

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.
Add the tomatoes, water, and oregano to the pan. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer.
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.
While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook spaghetti according to package directions.
Add the cooked spaghetti to the pasta sauce and toss to coat.

Cook Shrimp:

Heat oil in a pan on medium-high heat.
Toss shrimp in garlic, paprika and salt.
Add shrimp to the pan and cook 1-2 minutes per side, until shrimp are opaque.
Divide pasta between two plates, and then divide the shrimp between the dishes. Serve immediately.

Notes

Serves: This serves two people generously. For more modest portions, store half the pasta sauce for later and use ¼ lb. spaghetti.

Prep Time does not include preparing shrimp. It is difficult to know how long shrimp prep will take, because shrimp can be purchased in all stages of preparation. Be aware that if your shrimp need to be fully prepped, it will increase the prep time.

Shrimp cooking method alternative: Place the shrimp directly in the simmering pasta sauce, flipping when the first side becomes opaque. Remove shrimp with a fork or tongs before adding the pasta to the sauce. This option is best with completely peeled shrimp.

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.

Prepare Ahead: The sauce can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated for 4-6 days, or frozen and used within a year.

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