Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Fra Diavolo means brother devil or among the devil in Italian. When used in cooking, fra diavolo means something is cooked in a spicy tomato sauce. It is made with crushed red peppers and usually with shrimp or lobster, and sometimes clams. Like with many other delicious recipes of Italian decent, this dish was most likely an Italian-American creation rather than an authentic Italian creation. The sauce is Italian, however it is the addition of the shrimp or other shellfish that makes it more plausible that it comes- from an Italian-American creation. Also, this recipe usually includes brandy and/or wine. It is similar to an Arribbiata sauce, though an Arribbiata sauce is more like a traditional marinara sauce and usually does not contain shellfish or brandy or wine. Either way, who cares. The only thing that really matters is that it is a delicious recipe that will definitely satisfy your taste buds. A fra diavolo sauce is made from fresh tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, basil, and of course, red pepper flakes.

There is quite the history of how the term fra diavolo came about. In the 1770s, there lived a young boy by the name of Michele Pezza in Naples, who at an early age survived a harsh childhood sickness that nearly killed him. As part of an old Italian tradition, Pezza and other youngsters who recovered from serious illness were dressed as monks on the second Sunday after Easter for a yearly procession in honor of the patron saint of sick children, St. Francis of Paola. 

Little Michele was apparently such a notorious handful on these solemn occasions that someone once labeled him “fra diavolo,” meaning “brother devil.” The highly combustible nickname stuck and, in an extreme example of a self-fulfilling prophecy, Michele “Fra Diavolo” Pezza went on to live a hot-tempered early life before growing up to eventually lead Italian insurgents in a revolution against French occupiers. 

Today, the memory of Pezza and his fiery disposition lives on in a name affixed to any spicy Italian sauce served with pasta. Fra diavolo is a tomato-based sauce that gets its flavor mostly from olive oil, garlic, oregano and/or basil—but what sets it apart from similar sauces is the recipe’s heavy use of chilies or red pepper flakes, which delivers the infamous heat.  Served over spaghetti or linguine, seafood is usually the main source of protein in the dish. And for the most part, lobster is the go-to crustacean for most restaurants and homespun recipes alike. Indeed, Lobster Fra Diavolo has become an exceedingly popular staple in the Italian restaurant scene, but variations like Shrimp Fra Diavolo and the clam, mussel, scallop, and calamari-laden Seafood Fra Diavolo have been known to appear on menus across many different price points. 

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

I made my own version of Shrimp Fra Diavolo last night. I followed the basics, then “Jeannefied it” to make it my own, like I always do. :) I added mushrooms and a some olives in addition to all the fresh tomatoes.

1-1 1/2 lbs large shrimp or prawns, peeled and deveined

6 TBSP olive oil

1 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste

1/4 cup brandy

1 1/2 TBSP garlic

5 large tomatoes, diced

1 tsp sugar

1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 TBSP chopped or sliced olives

1 cup dry white wine

salt to taste

Sautee the shrimp in the olive oil, and when they are mostly cooked, carefully add the brandy. Let it flambe and cook off. The brandy will add flavor to the dish and will caramelize the shrimp. Once the flames have died down, and the shrimp is cooked, remove it from the heat and set aside to keep warm. 

Add the pepper flakes and garlic to the oil and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Then add the mushrooms, tomatoes, sugar and olives.

Mix everything together well, and carefully add the dry white wine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue cooking for about 10 or so minutes, stirring occasionally. Re-add the shrimp towards the end of the cooking process and continue to cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until everything is hot.

Serve over cooked linguini and top with Parmigiano cheese if you like. I served it with some warmed ciabatta bread and an olive oil dipping sauce, though had I thought about it enough, I didn’t really need an additional sauce. We could have just dipped the bread in the diavalo sauce and it would be have been very good indeed. Because this is a light sauce, and it was with shrimp, I served it with a cool, crisp Pino Grigio on the side, the same wine I used for the sauce. !Buon Appetito!

Happy New Year everyone. May 2024 be filled with good health, happiness and prosperity for all. ’Til next time.