Shrimp Fra Diavolo

It was a busy week here in Arlington.  The last thing I had time for this week was making a giant meal.  That being said I really try not to eat out more than a couple nights a week.  It's too expensive and really isn't a huge time saver compared to some quick dinner recipes I have.  Shrimp Fra Diavolo being one of my favorite of that sort.

There are a couple of quick dishes that I try to always have ingredients on hand for.  After all, it definitely doesn't fall into the quick dinner fix category if you have to run to the grocery to pick up the ingredients!  This really only takes a few items to make and mostly uses stuff you would have on hand anyway.  And by using shrimp which cooks up super quick you can have the whole thing done and on the table in just 20 minutes. 

As much as I love to spend my nights in the kitchen preparing something that sounds equally delicious and fancy sometimes there just isn't time.  This dish is perfect, not only does it cook up quick, it only uses 1 pot, 1 pan, a cutting board, and a knife which leaves you with just a few dishes and minimal clean up.

I love quick dinner but sometimes the dishes afterward are so overwhelming.  Nick and I usually split the chores but I hate leaving him with a giant sink full of dishes on nights when he already has a lot to do.  Heck, even when there is nothing to be done except catch up on the DVR no one wants to spend their evening up to their elbows in dish soap.  Not fun. So this dish is meant for those nights when you neither want to spend a lot of time cooking or a lot of time cleaning but you do want something delicious and homemade :)

So toss this quick and easy recipe for shrimp fra diavolo in your backlog!

Ingredients

 serves 4

1 T. olive oil

1 lb bag raw shrimp, defrosted

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 small onion, finely chopped

1/4 t. crushed red pepper (more if you like it super spicy)

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

1 T. fresh basil, chopped

*If you don't have fresh you can use 1/2 t. dried or 1/2 t. dried oregano

8 oz (about a 1/2 package) of spaghetti or angel hair pasta

optional: 1/2 cup white wine

Directions

1) Clean shrimp by running them under water, removing shells and veins. You can also remove the tails before cooking if you prefer.

2) Place a stock pot of hot water over high heat to boil (for cooking the noodles later).  Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a non-stick pan. Place the shrimp in the pan and cook 1-2 minutes per side depending on the size. The shrimp are done when they are pink on both sides and cooked through.  

3) Remove shrimp from the pan and place to the side on a plate.  Add an additional tablespoon of oil if no oil remains in the pan.  In the same pan add the chopped onion and crushed red pepper.  Saute until the onions become translucent.  Add the garlic (and if using wine the wine) and saute for 1 min.  Pour in the crushed tomatoes and add the chopped basil, salt, and pepper.  Allow sauce to simmer until it begins to thicken - this should take 8-10 minutes.

4) The water in the stock pot should be boiling now, add the noodles and cook according to the instructions.   When the noodles are finished remove from heat, strain, and pour into the sauce.  Add the shrimp and serve immediately with any leftover chopped basil on top and any left over wine in a glass :)