Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Hi Foodie Friends ~

I really wanted to wait until I had a fabulous recipe to share with you before writing another blog post. This time of year, I am always inspired to make fresh seafood to compliment the beginning of Spring, with its milder temps and more sunshine!  Since seafood and white wine tend to make an excellent pairing, this is also a great time of year to restock those delicious Sauvignon Blancs and Chardonnays!

If you LOVE shrimp as I do, [even if you simply "like" it] I think you will enjoy this recipe.  It comes from Giada de Laurentiis, and I cannot take credit for her masterpiece. I did make a few slight alterations to suit our tastes, but I don't think they compromised the deliciousness of this dish in any way.

________________________________________

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Ingredients:

1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried crushed red pepper flakes (I used 1/2 tsp. --- and this was plenty of spice for us!).
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced (I used half of a medium onion)
1 - 15oz. can diced tomatoes with their juices
1 cup dry white wine (I used 1/2 cup of a rich Napa Chardonnay)
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 tsp dried oregano leaves
3 tbsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
3 tbsp. chopped fresh basil leaves (I used 1 tbsp. dried --- didn't have fresh on hand)

Directions:

1.  Toss the shrimp with the salt and red pepper flakes.
2.  In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Saute the shrimp for about 1 minute and promptly remove to a plate and set aside.  Do not overcook the shrimp!
3.  Saute the onion in the pan for about 5 minutes, adding more olive oil if necessary.  Stir in the can of diced tomatoes, white wine, garlic, and oregano.  Cook for about 10 minutes, reducing the sauce slightly.
4.  Once the sauce has been reduced, return the shrimp and all its juices to the pan, along with the parsley and basil.  Stir to combine and heat through, about 3 minutes longer.  Again, be careful not to overcook the shrimp, as they will become tough and rubbery quickly!

Serves 3-4

___________________________________________


We chose to serve steamed broccoli alongside the shrimp, but you could definitely go for a more hearty side, such as mashed or roasted potatoes, rice, or a slice of hearty artisan bread to soak up the leftover sauce!

Be warned that if you choose to use the full teaspoon of red pepper flakes, this dish will be quite potent!  Even using just the 1/2 teaspoon gave this shrimp a very noticeable kick of heat.  I am a huge fan of red pepper flakes, especially in Italian dishes and sauces, but one can easily add too much, overpowering all of the other amazing flavors in the meal.

We drank what remained of the Laird 2008 Red Hen Chardonnay from Napa Valley (1/2 cup was used in the sauce) with this meal, and it was delicious!  This wine had a very rich golden color and mouth-feel.  It had nice toast and oak flavors with good acidity to balance them out.

Cheers to Spring!

Librarian turned Foodie