Skillet Shrimp Fra Diavolo Pasta
Skillet Shrimp Fra Diavolo Pasta Recipe: A bold and spicy one-pot meal combining seafood fra diavolo and pasta cooked right in the sauce for easy clean up. (Plus, Instant Pot Instructions!)
Shrimp Diablo (Italian Style!)
Who doesn’t love a super easy pasta recipe? I know I do!
Today I’m sharing a simplified version of a fancy recipe, Lobster Fra Diavolo we posted several years ago.
Most people think of a seafood fra diavolo recipe as a dish you cook only on special occasions.
Made with comforting pasta, spicy tomato sauce kissed with cream, and the addition of fresh lobster, crab, or shrimp, I can see why.
It just tastes and feels luxurious.
Easy Shrimp Fra Diavolo
Yet, these are all the same reasons why we should enjoy Fra Diavolo more often!
This uncomplicated variation, Skillet Shrimp Fra Diavolo Pasta, is a one-pot (or even Instant Pot) meal you can make in a hurry.
That way, you still get all the richness and tantalizing flavor of classic Seafood Fra Diavolo without having to deal with live lobsters.
What Does Fra Diavolo Mean?
Fra Diavolo literally translates to brother devil in Italian, or among the devil.
Fra Diavolo sauce, most commonly made with tomato, herbs, and chiles for spicy heat, is thought by some to be named after one of Napoleon’s commanders with the same nickname. However, it is quite possibly named after an old Italian restaurant in New York City where it might have originated. Some think the meaning of fra diavolo is simply derived from its spicy heat.
No one knows exactly where Seafood Fra Diavolo was birthed, but most chefs and historians agree, it is an Italian-American dish, not an authentic Italian recipe.
No matter where it came from, or why it was named “brother devil,” this seafood pasta has become a popular dish that happens to be easy to make at home.
What Ingredients You Will Need
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 small fennel bulb
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 – 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 2 3/4 cup water
- 1/3 cup cognac or brandy
- 1 pound dried trottole pasta or corkscrews
- 1 pound raw jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- Salt and black pepper
How to Make Shrimp Fra Diavolo Pasta
You can certainly make your seafood, pasta, and sauce separately… If you like doing things the hard way, and wash extra dishes. Yet our Skillet Shrimp Fra Diavolo Pasta recipe is made in one single cooking vessel, for easy cooking and clean up.
Cut the stems off the fennel bulb. Cut the bulb in half and remove the core. Then cut each half in thirds, and slice them thin. Prep the remaining vegetables and herbs.
Start by sautéing onion, fennel, garlic, and crushed red pepper in a large sauté pan/large skillet.
Add in tomatoes, cognac, and water. Then bring the sauce to a simmer.
Once the sauce reaches a low boil, stir in the pasta and cover the pot. Boil for 4-5 minutes, lifting the lid to stir once. The pasta should be nearly cooked, but still a little firm in the middle.
This gives both the pasta and the sauce a vibrant concentrated flavor.
Stir in the raw shrimp, cream, and parsley.
Simmer for another 2-3 minutes to cook the shrimp. Once the shrimp are pink, taste, then season with salt and pepper as needed.
Serve warm along with some of your favorite crusty bread.
Instant Pot Instructions
Place the oil onion, fennel, garlic, and crushed red pepper in the Instant Pot. Set on Sauté. Cook for 3-5 minutes to soften.
Add the canned tomatoes, water, cognac, 1 teaspoon salt, and the pasta. Stir well to cover the pasta. Then lock the lid into place and set on Pressure Cook High for 4 minutes.
Once it is finished cooking, turn the Instant Pot off, then perform a Quick Release. Once the valve button drops, open the Instant Pot.
Add the shrimp, cream, and parsley. Stir well and set on Sauté again for 2-3 minutes to cook the shrimp. Once it’s pink, turn off the heat.
If making this Skillet Shrimp Fra Diavolo Pasta in the Instant Pot, you can actually pressure cook the sauce and pasta together in just 4 minutes!
Then stir the shrimp in at the end.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do leftovers last?
You can store this Italian dish in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
What can you use instead of liquor?
You can swap the cognac for sherry. Or omit it completely if you like. You do not need to replace it with another ingredient.
What does fennel bulb taste like?
Fennel has a mild sweet licorice flavor. I know that sounds odd, but it offers the same kind of sweet pop that fresh basil does, when added to a recipe.
Do you cook the pasta before adding it?
This Italian pasta dish does not call for cooked pasta or reserved pasta water to make. Simply cook the dried pasta right in the sauce.
Is this a spicy dish?
This dish has a little bit of heat from the red chili flakes, but it is not super spicy. You can make it spicer by adding more for more of a kick.
More One-Pot Pastas
- Instant Pot Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta
- One-Pot Spinach Ricotta Pasta
- One-Pot Sunday Gravy
- Skillet Spaghetti Carbonara
- Chicken Gnocchi Skillet
Check the printable recipe card below for the nutrition facts including calories, carbohydrates, protein, cholesterol, sodium, fiber, and calcium percentages.
Skillet Shrimp Fra Diavolo Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 small fennel bulb
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 – 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 2 3/4 cup water
- 1/3 cup cognac or brandy
- 1 pound dried trottole pasta or corkscrews
- 1 pound raw jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 3 tablespoon heavy cream
- 2 tablespoon chopped parsley
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cut the stems off the fennel bulb. Cut the bulb in half and remove the core. Then cut each half in thirds, and slice them thin. Prep the remaining vegetables and herbs.
- Place the oil in a large saute pan (with a lid) and set over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, fennel, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Sauté for 2-3 minutes to soften. Add the canned tomatoes, water, cognac, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir and bring to a simmer.
- Once the sauce reaches a low boil, stir in the pasta and cover the pot. Boil for 4-5 minutes, lifting the lid to stir once. The pasta should be nearly cooked, but still a little firm in the middle.
- Stir in the raw shrimp, cream, and parsley. Simmer another 2-3 minutes to cook the shrimp. Once the shrimp are pink, taste, then season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm.
I love an easy one-pot meal! The flavors in this pasta were amazing, I couldn’t get enough of it. Thanks for sharing!
What a great way to use shrimp!! Love the flavor! It’s a hearty & delicious meal!!
This is a super easy pasta recipe! My loves loved it and can’t wait to make it again for my family this week, I’m sure they will also love it!
this is an amazing dinner recipe and I cant wait to make it again! thank you so much for sharing!
What can you use instead of liquor?
Hi Rebecca!
You can omit the cognac if you like. You do not need to replace it with another ingredient. :)
I’ve never used fennel bulb. What does it taste like? I’d like to make this recipe but not add syre of the fennel. Thanks.
Hi Lynn,
Fennel has a mild sweet licorice flavor. I know that sounds odd, but it offers the same kind of sweet pop that fresh basil does, when added to a recipe.
This looks very tasty. The cognac cream sauce with the shrimp and the heat element in the pasta is great stuff. Thanks.