Shrimp Fra Diavolo with linguine is a classic Italian dish perfect for Christmas Eve and the seven fish, Friday nights during Lent, or just a spicy summer pasta with a kick! I love spicy shrimp pasta and this dish has a depth of flavors and a short-lasting kick of spice, perfect for the whole family.

If you love spicy pasta, check out ourSpicy Chicken Riggies, Spicy Vodka Sauce, or Bucatini Amatriciana.

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What Does Fra Diavolo Mean?

It means brother devil in Italian. Shrimp Fra Diavolo gets its name from the spiciness of the dish. It is commonly misspelled diablo in English, maybe because diablo is devil in Spanish.

There's a history of the phrase dating back to the French occupying Italy and Michele Pezza, nicknamed fra diavolo, leading an Italian insurgent revolution, but you're not here for a history lesson.

As with a lot of Italian dishes, the origin of this fiery tomato sauce is contentious. Some believe it is from Naples while some believe it was created in the tri-state area. My thoughts on this are always this, does it really take a genius to put these simple ingredients together? Who cares where it's from? It's delicious whether it's paired with this shrimp pasta or in a Mussels Fra Diavolo dish!

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

Shrimp. Always buy raw shrimp for this dish. Cook the shrimp in the pan you use for the sauce to develop the most flavor. Fra Diavolo is mainly served with seafood, so the sauce needs that seafood flavor developed from start to finish.
Linguine. Linguine is my favorite for seafood pasta because it's flat and picks up a lot of the sauce. I would substitute bucatini, angel hair, or spaghetti.
Red Wine. If you wouldn't drink it; don't eat it. That's my motto when it comes to wine. You can use Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, or Merlot.
Calabrian chili peppers. I buy these in a jar. You can also use fresh or dried chili peppers. Another option is to substitute crushed red peppers. If you're looking for a less spicy red sauce with seafood, Linguine with Red Clam Sauce may be a better option.

*Please see the recipe card below for more information on ingredients.

How to Make Shrimp Fra Diavolo

This recipe is so easy to make and the sauce is the perfect level of spicy!

Seasoned shrimp with cayenne, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a bowl.

Step 1: Peel, devein, and remove the tails. Then dry the shrimp with a paper towel. Place the shrimp in a bowl and add 2 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Marinate for at least an hour.

Step 2: In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once hot, fry your shrimp in batches without overcrowding the pan. Cook shrimp on each side for 60-90 seconds. Overcooked shrimp will start to shrivel and the head will touch the tail. Set the shrimp aside for later.

Step 3: In the same pan, lower the heat to medium and add another tablespoon of olive oil. Sauté shallots for 3-4 minutes. Stir often to not burn the shallots. Once the shallots are translucent, add the garlic, and saute for 30 seconds.

Caramelizing tomato paste and calabrian chili peppers.

Step 4: Then add calabrian chili peppers and tomato paste. Stir and caramelize the tomato paste for 2 minutes.

Spoon dragged through red wine reduction with sauce separating due to thickness.

Step 5: Deglaze the pan with the red wine. Scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Simmer the red wine for 5 minutes until the wine is reduced by half. The red wine reduction will thicken and when you drag your spoon through, it will leave a trail behind.

Step 6: Add in the tomatoes, basil, and 2 teaspoon salt. Bring the sauce to a simmer for 30 minutes.

Step 7: Bring a large pot of water with salt to a boil and cook your linguine to al dente. Add the pasta to the boiling water when your sauce has been simmering for 20 minutes.

Linguine combined with sauce and shrimp.

Step 8: Stir your shrimp and the juices into the fra diavolo sauce. Add 1 cup of pasta water to help the sauce stick to the pasta. Drain the linguine and add it to the sauce. Stir in some chopped parsley and extra basil. Serve with a loaf of crusty Italian bread.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo with Linguine is perfect to serve on Our Feast of Seven Fishes Menu for Christmas Evealong with Italian Stuffed Baked Clamsand Steamed Mussels in White Wine.

Pro Tips

Dry your shrimp! Press them with a paper towel. If you don't they will "boil" instead of sear. It makes a huge difference. It's a mistake I used to always make!
The key to the sauce is cooking it in the same pot as you cooked the shrimp! You don't want to miss all that flavor.
Be patient with your red wine reduction. Check for the trail. See the video below for what I mean!
When cooking with red wine, I typically use a cabernet.

Shrimp fra diavolo with linguine on a plate.

Recipe FAQs

What is the difference between arrabiata and fra diavolo?

Usually, fra diavolo has seafood in it. Arrabiata is more of a spicy marinara. I also find that fra diavolo tends to be a little chunkier.

How long should you cook fra diavolo?

I believe anything with tomatoes in it, needs to simmer for a minimum of 25 minutes. Tomatoes in a can are basically raw. They need to be cooked to get the best flavor.

What seafood goes with fra diavolo?

The big one is mussels, but you could do shrimp, calamari, lobster, or crab.