Looking for a quick, flavorful dinner that packs a punch? Shrimp Fra Diavolo might be just what you need. This Italian-American dish is all about big flavors - juicy shrimp in a spicy tomato sauce. It's quick to make, taking only about 20 minutes from start to finish. Plus, you only need one pan, so cleanup is a breeze. It's perfect for busy weeknights, but it's also nice enough to serve to friends on the weekend. If you like your food with a bit of a kick, you're going to love this one.
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🗝️ Recipe's key points
- Shrimp Fra Diavolo is a quick, one-pan dish that combines shrimp with a spicy tomato sauce.
- The recipe takes only about 20 minutes to prepare, making it perfect for busy weeknights.
- You can make the sauce ahead of time, which makes dinner prep even faster when you're ready to eat.
Shrimp Fra Diavolo is popular for a reason. It's quick to make and tastes great. The spicy tomato sauce and shrimp combo is hard to beat when you're in the mood for something with a bit of kick. Once you've made it a few times, you'll probably find yourself coming back to this recipe, especially on busy nights when you want a good meal without spending too much time in the kitchen.
🛒 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
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- Large shrimp - Peeled and deveined, with tails attached. Fresh or thawed frozen both work well.
- Crushed red pepper flakes - Adjust the amount to your spice preference.
- Extra virgin olive oil - Use a good quality oil for best flavor.
- Yellow onion - A medium-sized onion, chopped.
- Garlic cloves - Fresh is best, but pre-minced garlic can work in a pinch.
- Dry white wine - Choose a wine you'd enjoy drinking. Avoid "cooking wine."
- Diced fire-roasted tomatoes - Canned is fine. Plain fire-roasted tomatoes work if you can't find diced.
- Tomato paste - Adds depth to the sauce.
- Dried oregano - Make sure it's still fragrant; replace if it's been in your pantry for a while.
- Fresh parsley - Adds a bright, fresh flavor at the end.
- Kosher salt and black pepper - For seasoning throughout the cooking process.
🗒 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels. This helps them brown better when cooking. Season the shrimp with salt and some of the red pepper flakes.
- Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet.
- Cook the shrimp for about a minute. They won't be fully cooked yet and that's ok!
- Take the shrimp out and set them aside. Leave any juices in the pan for extra flavor.
- Add more olive oil to the same skillet and toss in the onions and garlic. Cook them until they're soft and starting to brown.
- Pour in the white wine and let it cook away until there's about half as much. Then, add the tomatoes and tomato paste.
- Season with salt, pepper, oregano, and the rest of the red pepper flakes.
- Give everything a good stir and let the sauce simmer and thicken for about 10 minutes.
- Put the shrimp back in the skillet and nestle them into the sauce.
- Add the fresh parsley.
- Stir everything together and let it simmer until the shrimp are cooked through.
- Top with a bit more fresh parsley and you're ready to serve!
🥫 Storage
Making It Ahead: You can prepare the tomato sauce a day or two in advance. Store it in the fridge in a container with a tight lid. When you're ready to eat, warm up the sauce and cook the shrimp according to the recipe. This saves time on busy nights.
Refrigerating Leftovers: If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Here's a tip: take the shrimp out of the sauce before you reheat it. This keeps the shrimp from overcooking. Warm up the sauce, then add the shrimp back in just before serving.
Freezing: This dish is best eaten fresh. The sauce freezes well, but cooked shrimp can get tough when frozen and reheated. If you want to freeze some, it's better to freeze just the sauce. You can add fresh shrimp when you're ready to eat it.
📚 Variations
- Try different seafood: Swap out the shrimp for scallops or chunks of firm white fish like cod or halibut. You could also do a mix of seafood for a "frutti di mare" style dish.
- Make it creamy: For a richer sauce, stir in a splash of heavy cream at the end of cooking. This takes the edge off the spice and adds a nice silkiness to the sauce.
- Add some greens: Toss in a handful of baby spinach or arugula just before serving for some added nutrition and a pop of color.
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- Use large shrimp for this shrimp fra diavolo recipe. They're easier to handle and won't overcook as quickly as smaller ones.
- Don't overcook the shrimp in the first step. They'll finish cooking in the sauce later.
- If you like your sauce thicker, let it simmer a bit longer before adding the shrimp back in.
- Taste the sauce before adding the shrimp back in. This is your chance to adjust the seasoning.
- If you're serving with pasta, cook it while the sauce is simmering. This way, everything will be ready at the same time.
- If you're sensitive to spice, start with less red pepper flakes. You can always add more, but you can't take it out once it's in.
🤔 FAQs
Fra diavolo means "brother devil" in Italian. It refers to the spiciness of the dish.
Fra diavolo typically includes seafood and white wine, while Arrabiata is a vegetarian sauce usually served with pasta. Both are spicy tomato-based sauces.
Marinara is a simple, mild tomato sauce with herbs. Fra diavolo is spicier, often includes wine, and is typically served with seafood.
Diavolo means "devil" in Italian. While it doesn't directly translate to "spicy," it's used in cooking to indicate a spicy dish.
Basically! It typically includes red pepper flakes or fresh hot peppers, giving it a kick that regular marinara doesn't have.
📗 Related Recipes
If you love shrimp dishes, you should try my Easy BBQ Shrimp, Spicy Shrimp Creole With Italian Rustic Polenta, or Bang Bang Dynamite Shrimp.
Looking for more pasta? You've come to the right place! Try Creamy Garlic Shrimp Pasta, Shrimp Pasta Primavera { Gamberetti Pasta Primavera }, or Easy Shrimp Scampi.
For more spicy recipes, give Arrabiata Sauce, Spicy Eggs in Purgatory, or Spicy Vegetable Italian Lentil Soup a shot!
🍽 What to serve with Shrimp Fra Diavolo
The most common way to serve it is over pasta - linguine or spaghetti work great! You can also serve it with a big chunk of crusty bread to soak up all that tasty sauce.
Pair it with a simple green salad dressed with lemon vinaigrette for a lighter meal. Don't forget a glass of the white wine you used in the sauce!
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You’ll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
- Large skillet or frying pan
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Wooden spoon or spatula for stirring
- Tongs (helpful for flipping shrimp)
📞 Chiacchierata (chat)
This spicy seafood pasta is a beloved staple in Italian-American kitchens, known for its sugo robusto di pomodoro(robust tomato sauce) and gamberi succulenti (succulent shrimp). But don't let the gourmet label intimidate you. With our easy-to-follow ricetta (recipe), you'll be whipping up this piatto italiano da una padella(one-pan Italian dish) in no time.
The beauty of Italian cuisine lies in its simplicity. It's all about letting fresh, high-quality ingredients shine. For our piatto di pesce piccante (spicy seafood dish), this means selecting the best shrimp, tomatoes, and spices.
So, allaccia il grembiule (tie on your apron), grab your ingredients and let's dive into the fiery flavors of a classic Italian creation—Shrimp Fra Diavolo. Get ready to experience the perfect blend of spices in every bite. Buon appetito!
Tutti a tavolo, è pronto!
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📖 Recipe
One-Pan Seafood Delight: Classic Italian Shrimp Fra Diavolo
Equipment Needed
Ingredients
- 1 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined, tails attached
- Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes more to your liking
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 15- ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes or plain fire-roasted tomatoes
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- Black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Pat the shrimp dry and season with kosher salt and 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
- Heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet. Add the shrimp and cook for 45 seconds to 1 minute over medium heat.
- Transfer the shrimp and its juices to a plate. It's OK if the shrimp is still grey in some parts; it will finish cooking in the sauce.
- In the same skillet, heat another 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil over medium-high until shimmering. Reduce the heat to medium, then add the onions and garlic.
- Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat, regularly tossing until the onions have softened and turned a light golden brown.Add the white wine and cook until reduced by half.
- Stir in the diced tomatoes and tomato paste—season with kosher salt, black pepper, oregano, and the remaining red pepper flakes.
- Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and allow the sauce to simmer for 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
- Return the shrimp to the skillet and nestle it into the sauce. Cook for 1 more minute or until the shrimp is warmed and pink.
- Finish with fresh chopped parsley. Serve immediately with your favorite crusty bread, pasta, rice, or polenta.