This shrimp recipe has been on my list (what shrimp recipe isn’t as I love, love this shellfish). Fra Diavolo is Italian for “Devil monk” or a spicy sauce for pasta or seafood. I’ve combined a few recipes I discovered in cookbooks and online and made this version my own. You can make this as spicy as you want – just play with the flavors to get the results you like.
Shrimp Fra Diavolo with Bucatini
- 12 oz. bucatini, spaghetti or pasta of your choice
- reserve 1 cup plus cooking water
- 1/4 cup fish sauce, optional (see comment)
- olive oil
- 4-6 cloves garlic, sliced (I love garlic so I always use the higher amount)
- 1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes with basil
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (to taste)
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped plus some to garnish
- 1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined (save shells)
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- large pinch of baking soda (said to give the shrimp an extra snappy texture) see Cooking Tidbits – Baking Soda Tips
- parmesan cheese to garnish
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and slightly undercook it as it will cook a little more in the tomato sauce. Drain and reserve at least 1 cup cooking water.
In a medium bowl combine the shrimp, 1/2 tsp. salt and the baking soda, set aside. This is optional but it is said that it gives the shrimp a snappier texture.
Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat, add the garlic and cook until golden, 3-5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, 1 cup of the water, optional fish sauce, and the red pepper flakes; season if needed. Simmer for 15 minutes; stir in all of the basil except save some to garnish.
Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet and add the shrimp shells, cooking about 4 minutes or until they have turned a reddish color. Remove with a slotted spoon leaving as much oil as possible. This just adds more shellfish flavor and is an optional step. Add the shrimp and cook stirring occasionally, until almost fully cooked about 3 minutes.
Add the pasta to the tomato sauce and toss, adding more cooking water as needed to loosen. Stir in the shrimp and toss. Garnish with the remaining basil, some grated Parmesan cheese and serve.
Comment: BLiS and Red Boat Fish Sauce collaborated to barrel age their premium fish sauce. There are only two ingredients – anchovies and salt. Fish sauce can be rather “fishy” but barrel aging the sauce mellows it. I discovered this fish sauce through Food 52.
Recipe by cookingwithauntjuju.com
Linking to Fiesta Friday #185.
I love the sound of this pasta. It looks so appetizing, too! Happy Fiesta Friday and thanks for sharing, Aunt Juju!
Thanks Jhuls – pasta,shrimp in a tomato sauce you can’t go wrong with that combination 🙂
Looks absolutely delicious!
Thanks Sheryl – it was a good dinner along with a green salad and lots of fresh tomatoes 🙂
This is a lovely recipe, I love pairing shrimp with tomato sauce! Must try that trick with the baking soda next time I cook shrimp. Happy FF:)
Thanks – me too Monika! Combining salt with the soda for 15 minutes or so does the trick. It can make your onions brown faster, balance the acidity in tomato products (even though I prefer to add sugar) and probably other ways to use baking soda.
I had no idea about any soda tricks, very useful to know, thanks:)
Beautiful pasta. And I so love bucatini!
Bucatini will make any pasta dish stand out. Love the texture – I hardly use spaghetti any more!
Oh, me neither!
I definitely love this! Looks so good!
Thanks – it was very tasty 🙂
I love shrimp and this looks so yummy! Thank you for the baking soda tip. I will try it next time I make shrimp.
Thanks Sandhya – baking soda can be used for a lot of things! Shrimp is my favorite and I never seem to run out of ways to make it 🙂
🙂
I’m drooling here! I can just about imagine the flavors!
Mollie
Shrimp, pasta, shrimp – love, love, love 🙂 Good sauce too!
This looks gorgeous and sounds so yummy. I like how you did your own thing! Always wonderful to see your recipes!
Thanks so much Lynn – when I have a few recipes to look at it’s easy to pick the ingredients and directions of a recipe.
OMG this sounds sooo good!!! I love shrimps and I love bucatini! And only recently I discovered Red Boat fish sauce. I’m never going to use anything else!
Thanks Angie – Shrimp, pasta and tomato sauce – a winning combination. Easy on the fish sauce but this brand is definitely “not fishy”.
Of course I’ll have to make this in the Baja. I like snappy spicy shrimp!
Tracey
Thanks Tracey as it is a perfect recipe for you in the Baja. Of course it can be made to your taste – hope you enjoy it 🙂
This is one of my very favorite pasta dishes and your version looks so good! We love bucatini and need to use it more often!
Thank you Julie – I always have a supply of bucatini in my pantry. Shrimp is my favorite seafood and pair it with a good pasta and sauce – nothing better 🙂