Legend has it that one day in the 1770’s a young Italian boy from Naples by the name of Michele Pezza, grew gravely ill. Pezza fortunately managed to survive the sickness that nearly killed him. Italian tradition had it that when young people survived such a disease they were dressed like monks during the Easter holiday and participated in a procession in honor of the patron saint of sick children.
Apparently little Pezza wasn’t that interested in being marched around and became a notorious handful. He was soon given the name "fra diavolo" or "brother devil". Over time the nickname stuck and as a self-fulfilling prophecy went on to lead a hot-tempered lifestyle. Eventually he put that temperament to use and led Italian insurgents in a revolution against French occupiers of that time.
Despite the legend of Pezza’s life, any rather hot or fiery sauce served with pasta became known as Fra Diavolo. That said one would look to the Naples area as the origins of the development of such a sauce when in fact it’s said that Italian Americans from the New York/New Jersey area were responsible.
Regardless of its origins or the legend, a Fra Diavolo sauce is primality tomato based whose flavor components draw largely from the use of olive oil, garlic and oregano. What amps it up is the variety of pepper type condiments and red pepper flakes that give it its signature fiery heat. Served over spaghetti or linguine, seafood is the primary protein served alongside with the most common being shrimp. Lobster and other forms of crustaceans are also found in the dish.
To break with the Italian Classic series to a certain degree, I’ve decided in my interpretation of this recipe to start by smoking, rather than pan frying the shrimp. There’s something special about how smoke kisses and flavors shrimp that I prefer and goes extremely well with the heat that this recipe delivers.
So, if you’re ready to turn up the heat, let’s get busy and make some Smoked Shrimp Fra Diavolo…
Smoked Shrimp Fra Diavolo
Course. Lunch or Dinner.
Cuisine. Italian-American
Makes. 4 to 5 servings
Takes. 30 minutes prep, 60-70 minutes cooking time
Ingredients
2 - pounds fresh Gulf shrimp, peeled/deveined with tail left on
1 - pound spaghetti or linguine
1 – 28 ounce can whole plum tomatoes like San Marzano’s
1 – 14 ounce can tomato puree
1 – 6 ounce can tomato paste (we’ll use half)
1/4 cup olive oil (1/2 for shrimp, 1/2 for sauté)
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup shrimp stock (optional, just use a little more wine)
2-3 oil packed anchovies made into paste
8 - garlic cloves finely chopped
1/2 small onion chopped
1 - teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 - teaspoon Italian Calabrese Pepperoncino (or substitute 2 teaspoons Sambal Oelek)
1 - teaspoon dried oregano
2 - tablespoons flat leave parsley finely chopped
1 - tablespoon fresh basil finely chopped
1 - teaspoon Kosher salt
1 - teaspoon baking powder
Directions – Shrimp Prep & Marinade
Prepare the shrimp by removing the heads and the shells. Save both to make a shrimp stock. Be sure to slice along the backs of the shrimps and devein. Leave the tail portion on if desired or remove, makes no difference to the recipe. Rinse thoroughly.
In a bowl with the shrimp, add the olive oil, red pepper flakes, the Pepperoncino (or Sambal), Kosher salt and the baking powder. Combine thoroughly and place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes while you fire up the grill or smoker.
Fire up your favorite outdoor cooker with either charcoal or wood splits Set the fire to indirect if smoking or direct if grilling. While the fire is starting, skewer the shrimps for ease of handling. Use any extra marinade to baste the shrimp while cooking.
Smoke or grill the shrimp taking care not to burn or dry out by flipping or turning often. Total cook time should not exceed 25-30 minutes total. Shrimp is done when it turns opaque pink from translucent gray. Remove to a bowl, loosely tent with foil and set aside while making the sauce.
Directions – Fra Diavolo Sauce
Start a pot of boiling water prior to beginning the sauce. While making the sauce boil your pasta until just short of al dente. Drain the pasta but do not rinse. Save a cup or two of the pasta water for the sauce.
Open the cans of tomatoes and place them in a blender. Pulse blend until chunky, do not turn them liquid. Set aside with the other ingredients.
In a large vessel or fry pan, heat the remaining olive oil and add the anchovy paste. Once the paste is dissolved add and sauté the onions until translucent, about 2 or 3 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook until fragrant, about 1-2 more minutes. Next add about 3 ounces of the tomato paste and continue to cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes combining all ingredients.
Deglaze the pan with the wine and shrimp stock (if using). Raise the heat and bring to a boil reducing the sauce by about one third. Add the tomatoes and oregano, stirring to combine. Lower the heat and simmer while waiting for the pasta to finish cooking. Finally add the parsley and basil, continue to simmer. Check the salt level and add if need be.
Next add the drained pasta to the sauce. If too much sauce, feel free to reduce the amount by placing the extra in another bowl. Stir the pasta and sauce allowing the pasta to absorb the sauce and take on color. If the sauce seems to thick add a little of the reserved pasta water to thin. If too thin add a little of the reserved sauce until you achieve the desired consistency.
Finally add back the cooked shrimp. Stir and combine to re-heat the shrimp and allow the flavors to come together. Sprinkle with a little bit of parsley to give the dish a finishing pop of color.
Plate the dish and sprinkle with some Parmesano Reggiano cheese along with a bit of finishing olive oil. Serve with some garlic bread and a nice glass of chianti. Firing up a dish Italian style may be new world versus old, but it remains a classic none the less. Enjoy, and as always,
Buon Appetito !!!
Apparently little Pezza wasn’t that interested in being marched around and became a notorious handful. He was soon given the name "fra diavolo" or "brother devil". Over time the nickname stuck and as a self-fulfilling prophecy went on to lead a hot-tempered lifestyle. Eventually he put that temperament to use and led Italian insurgents in a revolution against French occupiers of that time.
Despite the legend of Pezza’s life, any rather hot or fiery sauce served with pasta became known as Fra Diavolo. That said one would look to the Naples area as the origins of the development of such a sauce when in fact it’s said that Italian Americans from the New York/New Jersey area were responsible.
Regardless of its origins or the legend, a Fra Diavolo sauce is primality tomato based whose flavor components draw largely from the use of olive oil, garlic and oregano. What amps it up is the variety of pepper type condiments and red pepper flakes that give it its signature fiery heat. Served over spaghetti or linguine, seafood is the primary protein served alongside with the most common being shrimp. Lobster and other forms of crustaceans are also found in the dish.
To break with the Italian Classic series to a certain degree, I’ve decided in my interpretation of this recipe to start by smoking, rather than pan frying the shrimp. There’s something special about how smoke kisses and flavors shrimp that I prefer and goes extremely well with the heat that this recipe delivers.
So, if you’re ready to turn up the heat, let’s get busy and make some Smoked Shrimp Fra Diavolo…
Smoked Shrimp Fra Diavolo
Course. Lunch or Dinner.
Cuisine. Italian-American
Makes. 4 to 5 servings
Takes. 30 minutes prep, 60-70 minutes cooking time
Ingredients
2 - pounds fresh Gulf shrimp, peeled/deveined with tail left on
1 - pound spaghetti or linguine
1 – 28 ounce can whole plum tomatoes like San Marzano’s
1 – 14 ounce can tomato puree
1 – 6 ounce can tomato paste (we’ll use half)
1/4 cup olive oil (1/2 for shrimp, 1/2 for sauté)
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup shrimp stock (optional, just use a little more wine)
2-3 oil packed anchovies made into paste
8 - garlic cloves finely chopped
1/2 small onion chopped
1 - teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 - teaspoon Italian Calabrese Pepperoncino (or substitute 2 teaspoons Sambal Oelek)
1 - teaspoon dried oregano
2 - tablespoons flat leave parsley finely chopped
1 - tablespoon fresh basil finely chopped
1 - teaspoon Kosher salt
1 - teaspoon baking powder
Directions – Shrimp Prep & Marinade
Prepare the shrimp by removing the heads and the shells. Save both to make a shrimp stock. Be sure to slice along the backs of the shrimps and devein. Leave the tail portion on if desired or remove, makes no difference to the recipe. Rinse thoroughly.
In a bowl with the shrimp, add the olive oil, red pepper flakes, the Pepperoncino (or Sambal), Kosher salt and the baking powder. Combine thoroughly and place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes while you fire up the grill or smoker.
Fire up your favorite outdoor cooker with either charcoal or wood splits Set the fire to indirect if smoking or direct if grilling. While the fire is starting, skewer the shrimps for ease of handling. Use any extra marinade to baste the shrimp while cooking.
Smoke or grill the shrimp taking care not to burn or dry out by flipping or turning often. Total cook time should not exceed 25-30 minutes total. Shrimp is done when it turns opaque pink from translucent gray. Remove to a bowl, loosely tent with foil and set aside while making the sauce.
Directions – Fra Diavolo Sauce
Start a pot of boiling water prior to beginning the sauce. While making the sauce boil your pasta until just short of al dente. Drain the pasta but do not rinse. Save a cup or two of the pasta water for the sauce.
Open the cans of tomatoes and place them in a blender. Pulse blend until chunky, do not turn them liquid. Set aside with the other ingredients.
In a large vessel or fry pan, heat the remaining olive oil and add the anchovy paste. Once the paste is dissolved add and sauté the onions until translucent, about 2 or 3 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook until fragrant, about 1-2 more minutes. Next add about 3 ounces of the tomato paste and continue to cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes combining all ingredients.
Deglaze the pan with the wine and shrimp stock (if using). Raise the heat and bring to a boil reducing the sauce by about one third. Add the tomatoes and oregano, stirring to combine. Lower the heat and simmer while waiting for the pasta to finish cooking. Finally add the parsley and basil, continue to simmer. Check the salt level and add if need be.
Next add the drained pasta to the sauce. If too much sauce, feel free to reduce the amount by placing the extra in another bowl. Stir the pasta and sauce allowing the pasta to absorb the sauce and take on color. If the sauce seems to thick add a little of the reserved pasta water to thin. If too thin add a little of the reserved sauce until you achieve the desired consistency.
Finally add back the cooked shrimp. Stir and combine to re-heat the shrimp and allow the flavors to come together. Sprinkle with a little bit of parsley to give the dish a finishing pop of color.
Plate the dish and sprinkle with some Parmesano Reggiano cheese along with a bit of finishing olive oil. Serve with some garlic bread and a nice glass of chianti. Firing up a dish Italian style may be new world versus old, but it remains a classic none the less. Enjoy, and as always,
Buon Appetito !!!
Trout Signing Out !!!!
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