Shrimp Fra Diavolo

• Servings: 4 as a main course, 6 as a starter.

If you have sauce already made, maybe in your freezer, or you have a favorite jarred one on hand, this combination of shrimp and a gutsy tomato sauce makes a quick and satisfying meal. But even if you're making the sauce from scratch, it's do-able for a weeknight dinner.

Some recipes for this dish have you adding the red pepper to the shrimp but I prefer to flavor the sauce so that the heat is throughout the dish, adding zest to either pasta or a crusty loaf to sop up the sauce. I think this kind of sauce works best on a long pasta, like spaghetti or spaghettini.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds large or jumbo wild shrimp, peeled and de-veined
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small red onion, peeled and grated on the large holes of a box grater or finely minced
• 3 garlic cloves, grated or finely minced
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes (you can add more later to taste)
• 1 28 oz. can or box of diced tomatoes with juices
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

Directions

1. Place the cleaned shrimp in a medium bowl and season with a large pinch of salt and several grinds of black pepper.
2. In a large, heavy skillet or sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and sauté until just cooked through and beginning to brown, about 2 minutes a side depending on their size. Do not crowd in the pan and do not over cook. Remove from the pan.
3. Add the grated onion to the same pan and cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and has cooked off much of its liquid, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and stir until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4. Add the tomatoes with their juice, wine, and oregano, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens a bit, about 10 minutes.
5. Return the shrimp and any accumulated juices to the tomato sauce and toss to coat and continue cooking to make the shrimp as hot as the sauce, about 4 or 5 minutes.
6. Taste and adjust for salt and red pepper.
7. Serve either in small bowls along with slices of bread or to sauce pasta.