Shrimp Fra Diavolo Recipe (Spicy Shrimp Pasta)

Shrimp Fra Diavolo features sautéed shrimp tossed in a spicy tomato sauce spiked with white wine. It’s a quick & easy delicious pasta recipe perfect for the weeknight dinner table.

I’m back with another quick & easy pasta recipe for you!

This spicy shrimp pasta with tomatoes will be on your dinner table in 30-minutes flat. It’s got a bit of heat to it, and a lovely briny goodness from the shrimp.

Plus, it’s not heavy and overpowering like some rich pasta dishes can be. Just light, delicious and oh so flavorful – with white wine, plenty of garlic and fresh parsley.

Shrimp Diavolo is a bit like clam linguini’s evil cousin – all the seafood goodness but amped up with fiery heat.

What does Fra Diavolo mean in Italian?

  • “Fra Diavolo” means “Brother Devil” in Italian. This Shrimp in fra diavolo sauce is given the name for its spicy flavors.

Ingredients needed

  • Shrimp – I used a bag of frozen shrimp that were partially peeled but had the tails still attached. like having a bit of the peel left on. I think that it adds more flavor to the dish. However, you can use also shrimp that are fully peeled.
  • Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
  • Olive Oil
  • Garlic
  • Canned Tomatoes
  • White Wine – Here are 13+ of my favorite white wines for cooking.
  • Parsley
  • Sugar
Ingredients for shrimp fra diavolo on tray.

How to make it

  • Get a large skillet super hot. Then quick saute the shrimp until pink throughout. Set them aside. Tip: Here’s how to tell when shrimp are done.
  • Lower the skillet heat to LOW so that the garlic wont scorch. Slow saute it until golden.
  • Add wine, tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and let the tomato mixture simmer to allow the flavors to meld.
  • Return the shrimp to the skillet and toss with linguini and a bit of reserved pasta water.

Is fra diavolo spicy?

  • As written, this recipe is about a “medium” on the heat level.

I like things spicy, and if you’re going to serve people something called devil shrimp, it’s my belief that you’d better come bringing some heat!

However, I’ve also made this dish for my good friend Barb and her daughter. They’re both pretty sensitive to spicy dishes so I cut the red pepper flakes back by half and it was all good! You can also leave the red chili flakes out entirely if you’d like.

Variations

  • Swap in lobster for the shrimp to make a lobster fra diavolo.
  • Add some fresh basil to your finished dish for a pop of extra flavor.
Bowl of shrimp fra diavolo next to bowl of pepper flakes.

Wine pairings

  • White Wine –  Pinot Grigio or dry sparkling wine such as Prosecco will be awesome with this dish.
  • Red Wine – Dolcetto or Barbera would make a good option for this dish – Look for fruity reds that are lower in alcohol.

What to serve with it

Hand holding bowl of diavolo on pasta.

More shrimp recipes

More quick pasta recipes

Did you try this shrimp fra diavolo pasta?

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Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Shrimp Fra Diavolo features sautéed shrimp tossed in a spicy tomato sauce spiked with white wine. It's a quick & easy delicious pasta recipe perfect for the weeknight dinner table. 
 
5 from 21 votes
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta, according the package directions, then drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid.
  • Meanwhile, combine the shrimp, half of the red pepper flakes, 2 tablespoons oil, and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Toss to blend.
  • Add the shrimp to the hot skillet and assemble in a single layer. Let cook without stirring until the bottoms turn pink, about 30-45 seconds. Flip the shrimp over and cook until pink throughout.
  • Transfer the shrimp to a bowl and set aside.
  • Add 3 tablespoons oil and 3 tablespoons minced garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, over low heat, until the garlic is light golden, about 7-10 minutes.
  • Mix in remaining red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, sugar, tomatoes and wine. Increase the heat to medium-high and simmer until thickened, about 8 minutes.
  • Stir reserved shrimp and accumulated juices, remaining garlic and parsley into the sauce. Simmer until the shrimp are heated through, about 1 minute. Add linguini and toss to combine, adding pasta cooking liquid if needed to loosen the sauce.
Did you make this recipe?Mention @platingsandpairings or tag #platingsandpairings!

Nutrition

Calories: 548kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 190mg | Sodium: 607mg | Potassium: 308mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 410IU | Vitamin C: 8.3mg | Calcium: 146mg | Iron: 3.1mg

This post was originally published in 2019. It was updated in 2023 to add new content. The original jumbo shrimp fra diavolo recipe remains the same. Enjoy!

21 thoughts on “Shrimp Fra Diavolo Recipe (Spicy Shrimp Pasta)”

  1. Made this last night and it was FABULOUS!! We also made the celery & fennel salad which was a perfect match (and my new favorite summer salad). Thanks!!!

    Reply
  2. 5 stars
    Wow, I already feel this stunning smell and perfect taste! I love pasta, shrimps and creamy textures separately, but together it will be a real BOMB! And I also like the title 🙂 I will try not to cook this dish for the night, so as not to eat it all to the last shrimp 🙂 I really like your blog for exquisite delicious recipes. Do not stop, I am a frequent guest here and always find something interesting, keep it up and thank you!

    Reply
  3. 5 stars
    This was a delicious recipe! Loved how it was light and not too spicy but enough where there was a little kick! Family also enjoyed

    Reply
  4. 5 stars
    Recipe was a hit with family. I was a bit skeptical since most Italian food I have eaten with tomatoes had no appeal to my taste buds. The simple ingredients made this easy to fix and tasted awesome. The wine made all the difference. Shrimp was so good and flavored by searing and mixing with sauce. I’m ready to eat this again! Kudos kudos kudos

    Reply
  5. If I have to go to a mediocre Italian restaurant, this is what I typically get. They might overcook the shrimp but there’s always the tomato spicy ness that I enjoy. But I’ve never made it! Thanks for the reminder.

    Reply

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