Shrimp Fra Diavolo with Linguine

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A fiery Italian-American classic built the right way: the shrimp get a hard, fast sear and are pulled from the pan while still barely translucent, so they finish cooking gently in the chili-garlic tomato sauce instead of turning rubbery. Crushed red pepper, a full head's worth of sliced garlic and a splash of dry white wine give the sauce its heat and depth in under 30 minutes, and every bit of shrimp flavor left in the skillet gets deglazed back into it.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 lb large shrimp (21–25 count), peeled and deveined, tails on
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 28-oz can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 pinch sugar (optional, if tomatoes are sharp)

• 12 oz linguine
• kosher salt, for the pasta water
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh basil, torn
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Instructions

1. Pat the shrimp very dry with paper towels — surface moisture is the difference between a sear and a steam. Toss in a bowl with 3/4 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes and let sit at room temperature while you prep the garlic and shallot, about 10 minutes.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it heavily (about 2 tablespoons kosher salt per 4 quarts). Don't add the pasta yet.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high until it shimmers and just begins to wisp, about 2 minutes. Add the shrimp in a single uncrowded layer (work in two batches if needed) and sear undisturbed for 60–75 seconds, until the underside is deep pink with a few browned spots. Flip and sear just 30 seconds more — the centers should still look slightly translucent. Transfer to a plate and set aside. They are intentionally underdone.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil to the same skillet along with the sliced garlic and 1 tsp red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring constantly, for 60–90 seconds, until the garlic is pale gold and fragrant. Do not let it brown past straw color or the sauce will taste bitter.
5. Add the chopped shallot and cook 2 minutes until softened. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute more, smearing it into the oil until it darkens to brick red.
6. Pour in the white wine, raise heat to medium-high, and scrape the bottom of the pan to lift every browned bit of shrimp fond. Simmer 2–3 minutes until reduced by about half.
7. Add the hand-crushed tomatoes with their juices, the oregano and 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to a lively simmer, then reduce to medium-low and cook uncovered for 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce coats a spoon and the oil starts to separate slightly at the edges. Taste and add a pinch of sugar only if it tastes sharp, plus more red pepper if you want real heat.
8. While the sauce simmers, add the linguine to the boiling water and cook 1 minute short of the package's al dente time. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain.
9. Stir the butter into the sauce until melted, then return the shrimp along with any juices from the plate. Cook 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, turning once, just until the shrimp are opaque all the way through and curled into loose C shapes. Pull the skillet off the heat immediately.
10. Add the drained linguine directly to the skillet (or return pasta to its pot and pour the sauce over if your skillet is crowded) and toss for 30 seconds, loosening with splashes of reserved pasta water until the sauce clings and glosses the noodles.
11. Off the heat, fold in the parsley, basil and lemon zest. Divide among 4 warm bowls, arrange the shrimp on top, and finish each with a drizzle of raw olive oil and a final pinch of red pepper flakes.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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