Shrimp Fra Diavolo – because spicy is Delicious! Spice up your life, embrace this bowl of succulent plump shrimp, tomatoes and a kick of heat… some pasta doused in that sauce or nice crusty bread.
Save a cozy night for some Shrimp Fra Diavolo. Aaaand, since you are the chef in your own kitchen, you can adjust that heat too.
Just don’t turn it down too much, otherwise it’s not Shrimp Fra Diavolo…
We are always hunting new ways to cook our beloved shrimp. Be it Gambas al Ajillo from Spain or Shrimp Saganaki from Greece, we love all kinds of international takes on this seafood.
Some regional classics like Shrimp de Jonghe and Shrimp and Grits are among our most popular recipes on GypsyPlate.
And then we come across Shrimp Fra Diavolo… and literally get blown away by the flavors. Simple, homemade tomato sauce spiked with a little wine, plenty of garlic and lots of red chili flakes… and you have Shrimp Fra Diavolo in the making.
Check out our collection of favorite Shrimp Recipes!
What is Shrimp Fra Diavolo?
As mentioned before, this one is for spice lovers. Well, it’s literally in the name. Fra Diavolo translates to “brother devil” in Italian, earning its name due to the kick it gets from red chili flakes.
You might raise your eyebrows thinking spicy Italian? How and why is this shrimp-pasta-spicy dish classified as Italian? Well, Shrimp Fra Diavolo might not have originated in mainland Italy, but in some Italian neighborhoods of New York city.
It’s likely creator might be some early 20th century Italian American restaurateur, who simply tweaked the original native dish by making it spicy, similar to Italy’s spicy arrabbiata sauce.
Sweet shrimp, or any other seafood, get doused in a spicy tomatoee flavorful sauce. It’s kinda more like Mediterranean.
The version we made has “medium” heat level. You can always kick it up a notch when your heart desires more heat. For a milder version that can still pass as “Fra Diavolo”, use half the amount of chili flakes.
These are the Ingredients you need for this easy Shrimp Fra Diavolo:
- Shrimp – You can make this with any kind of shrimp on hand, fresh or frozen. We prefer nice, plump jumbo sized for this special treat.
- Onion – You can use any color available, or even use shallots.
- Diced canned tomatoes – In summer time, you can replace them with juicy fresh ripe tomatoes, too.
- Dry white wine – flavor enhancer.
- Garlic
- Red chili flakes – Star of the dish.
- Oregano
- Salt and sugar
- Parsley
- Olive oil
- Fettuccine – or any other noodles of your choice to serve with. (you can go with some crusty warm bread, too)
How to make Shrimp Fra Diavolo
It’s a pretty straightforward and easy affair. The star of the dish is, of course, the spiced up tomato sauce.
But before you start building up the sauce, start cooking the pasta according to the instructions on the packet.
Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel, then season with salt, half of the chili flakes and olive oil. You will find exact amounts in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Heat olive oil in a skillet and sear the shrimp on both sides till they are no longer gray in color and turn pink. Plate them out.
In the same skillet, add a dash more olive oil and sauté chopped onions till they start changing color.
Add in garlic and cook for a minute or two.
Time to add in tomatoes, red chili flakes, salt, sugar, oregano and wine. Simmer this for 15-20 minutes. The more you simmer, the more flavor it develops, like any other Italian sauce.
Once the sauce is ready, taste and adjust for seasoning or heat according to your taste.
Stir back in the shrimp along with any juices and some parsley.
Simmer till the shrimp is cooked through and heated.
You can stir in more parsley as garnish. Time to toss the shrimp over cooked pasta in a bowl, or you can stir the pasta into the skillet. The choice is yours.
Want to try some variations?
- Use fire roasted tomatoes instead of regular for deeper flavors.
- Try it with other seafood of your choice, or mix and match. This sauce goes great with mussels, scallops, lobster, crabs and any white fish.
- Want to make it creamier and milder? Add a dash of cream to the sauce at the end.
- Want to go for an economical option? Swap seafood with simple sautéed chicken or your favorite sausage.
Storing
We most often try to finish seafood the same night, or the next day for lunch. This will refrigerate well for 2-3 days in an airtight container. We don’t recommend freezing, to maintain the high quality taste and flavor of the seafood.
Well, we came up with one more cracker dish for you. Shrimp Fra Diavolo in all its glory. Give it a try on some cozy night with your family and friends.
Get that sauce to simmer and sizzle, boil your favorite shape of pasta, or put that yummy crusty bread to warm up in the oven. Find yourself a nice glass of wine and you are all set!!
Shrimp Fra Diavolo, on my Gypsy Plate… enjoy!
Try these other great pasta dishes!
Scallop Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes
Tortellini Pasta Salad
Mediterranean Pasta
Johnny Marzetti Casserole
Gigi Hadid Pasta
Shrimp Fra Diavolo
Shrimp Fra Diavolo is a dish of plump shrimp in a spicy tomato sauce. It's a great meal that whips up in about 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- To Season Shrimp
- 1.5 lbs jumbo shrimp
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp red chili flakes
- 1/2 tsp salt
For Shrimp Fra Diavolo
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 6-7 garlic cloves, sliced or chopped
- 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
- 1 tsp red chili flakes (or more to taste, see note)
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 2-3 Tbsp parsley, chopped
- Pasta and/or bread to serve
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet.
- Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel and season with salt, chili flakes and olive oil.
- Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the shrimp in a single layer and sear for 30-45 seconds, turn and sear other side till they turn pink. Plate them out.
- In the same pan, add in 1 more Tbsp olive oil and sauté the onions till they turn translucent, and are slightly changing color. Add in garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes.
- Add in tomatoes along with salt, sugar, oregano and red chili flakes. Give it a stir. Add in wine and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- Stir back in the shrimp with along with any juices, and 2 Tbsp parsley. Cook till the shrimp are cooked and well heated through.
- Garnish it with more parsley and serve it over pasta and/or with bread.
Notes
The heat level here is medium. You can really make it as spicy as you want:
1 tsp red chili flakes: for less spicy
2 to 2.5 tsp: medium
3 tsp +: Spicy HOT.
Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 284Total Fat 11gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 241mgSodium 1433mgCarbohydrates 11gFiber 3gSugar 5gProtein 28g
Nutrition information calculated by Nutritionix.
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I made this last night for dinner and everyone loved it! My husband usually orders this sauce with mussels when he goes out. They’re not my favorites, so shrimp was an excellent choice for pleasing all of us. But now, he can bring home his mussels and I can make him this sauce and he will be so happy! Thank you for an excellent and easy meal to make!