Italian · Main · Medium
Shrimp Fra Diavolo
Plump shrimp tossed through a fiery tomato sauce laced with garlic, white wine, and red pepper. Fierce, glossy, and made for a pile of spaghetti to catch every drop.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Shrimp Fra Diavolo, in 5 ideas
- Pat the shrimp dry and sear them fast in a hot pan, they finish in the sauce so do not overcook them early.
- Bloom the red pepper flakes in the oil before the garlic, the heat wakes up their flavor.
- Deglaze with the wine and let it reduce by half so the sauce does not taste raw.
- Toss the pasta in the sauce for the last minute, the starch helps it cling.
- Finish with cold butter off the heat for a sauce that turns glossy and rich.
What you need
Ingredients
- 450g large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 340g spaghetti
- 400g canned crushed tomatoes
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 60ml dry white wine
- 60ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 to 1.5 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 0.5 tsp dried oregano
- 0.5 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 0.25 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 30g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 15g fresh basil leaves, torn
How to make it
Directions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti until just shy of al dente. Reserve 240ml of the pasta water, then drain.
- Pat the shrimp dry and season with salt and black pepper. Heat half the olive oil in a large deep skillet over high heat and sear the shrimp for 1 minute per side until just pink. Remove to a plate.
- Lower the heat to medium, add the remaining oil, and stir in the red pepper flakes and oregano for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then pour in the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes and simmer for 8 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Return the shrimp to the pan with the pasta and a splash of pasta water. Toss for 1 to 2 minutes until the pasta finishes cooking and the sauce coats everything.
- Take off the heat, swirl in the cold butter, and scatter over the basil..
Buy frozen shrimp instead of the thawed display kind. It is often cheaper, fresher in practice, and you can thaw exactly what you need under cold water in 15 minutes, so nothing goes to waste.