Shrimp Fra Diavolo with Fresh Linguine

Ahh...charting unknown culinary territory on a Sunday night, that's me.

Last night I made Shrimp Fra Diavolo, Italian for Devil Brother. Some say it's named for the red pepper flakes that provide (as Andrew said) "a hint of spice" or the flambe method in which the shrimp is finished. The latter is definitely the highlight to making this dish...we got to light a pan on fire! Yes. On fire. It was such a rush, even if Andrew did almost burn my eyebrows off.

I have no idea why this classic Italian entree isn't more popular in the U.S. It's fantastic! Andrew and I loved it. The thin sauce made Andrew think of his visits to Italy in his early 20's. It is much more authentic compared to what most Americans are used to. It cooks up fast, making it a great weeknight meal, if you aren't making homemade pasta of course. The shrimp and sauce only take about 15 minutes from start to finish. However, in dishes like this, I feel the pasta is crucial. Since it's not drowned in marinara, the pasta needs to be so hearty and tasty that it can stand on it's own - something boxed varieties can't deliver.

I hope you try this one! I guarantee you'll love it. I must note that you can use scallops in place of the shrimp to create Scallops Fra Diavolo. Both versions should be served with linguine.

{Click Here for the Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:
1 lb Fresh Pasta, Linguine (click here for the recipe)
Salt
1 lb Large Shrimp, peeled and deveined
5 Tblsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1/4 Cup Cognac
12 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 28-oz Can Diced Tomatoes
1 Cup White Wine
1/2 tsp White Sugar
1/4 Cup Italian Parsely, minced

* Serves 4. I halved this recipe since it was just Andrew & I.

Directions:

If you are making pasta, go ahead and do that first. This is some of the most beautiful pasta dough I've ever made! Since it was only 30 degrees last night and dry as ever, I used 5 whole large eggs and about a 1/4 cup of water in my regular recipe. After all, I'm sure Italy doesn't experience the same freezing & dry temperatures.

Cut into linguine. I love how long the noodles can be made. Some of mine were 18". Love it! Cook noodles in well-salted, rapidly boiling water until al dente, 8-10 minutes depending on thickness. Strain and set aside. (Andrew was eating them out of the colander. Nothing makes me happier than seeing him enjoy my cooking.)

Note: Cook's Illustrated suggests reserving a little of the water you cook the pasta in. If the sauce is too thick, you can use this to thin it.

Gather your ingredients. All I had to buy was shrimp & Italian parsely. After factoring everything in, this meal cost me about $12 total. Can't beat that.

First toss the shrimp in 2 tblsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, and 3/4 tsp salt.

Heat a skilled over high heat. Once it's good and hot, add the shrimp. Cook one side of shrimp for 30 seconds. Turn shrimp and remove from heat (do not cook the 2nd side).

Add cognac. Wait 5 seconds. Light it on fire! All you need to do is wave a match or candle-lighter over the pan and it will immediately ignite. That's how the shrimp cook, and I must say, they are beautiful in the end. This may be the best way to cook shrimp ever. They were perfect!

Let the fire die out.

Rest pan for 3 minutes, then remove shrimp. Do not dump out the drippings, put skillet back on stove. (Told you the shrimp came out beautifully!)

Return skillet to stove using medium heat, add 3 tblsp of olive oil and 3/4 of the minced garlic. (The whisk will eventually clog due to the garlic being sticky, so I recommend a fork for this.)

Cook and stir frequently until the garlic become sticky and straw-colored, 5-10 minutes. (Will look like the picture above.)

Pour in the white wine.

Then add the tomatoes, sugar, 3/4 tsp salt, and the remaining 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes.

Combine and let simmer until thickened, about 8 minutes.

Once sauce has thickened, add the remaining minced garlic and the Italian parsley. Let cook for 1 minute.

Add shrimp and any juices that accumulated on their plate. Simmer until shrimp have warmed through, about 1-2 minutes.

All that is left to do is toss it with the prepared pasta. I removed the shrimp prior to tossing so that I could place them on atop of the pasta dish.

Be sure to serve immediately. Any tossed pasta dish gets cold fast.