Quick, Spicy and Delicious Shrimp fra Diavlo

This dish can be made with just about any type of seafood, but I happened to have some shrimp. I have had it with squid, lobster, scallops, fish, and a combination of seafood. It is one of the most enjoyable pasta dishes that I have ever tasted. The peppery, tangy taste is a perfect compliment to the taste of seafood.

This is a great weeknight dish because you can whip it together in minutes. I used Lizabetti's Marinara Sauce Recipe, which she makes in gallons and keeps around to speed up cooking of Italian style dishes.

Ingredients:

• 12-18 medium or large shrimps.
• 1/2 lb whole wheat penne or ziti (or substitute your own favorite pasta). I like whole wheat because it holds on to the sauce better, and it is healthier too.
  
• 2 Tbsp olive oil. I used our home made spicy olive oil, which I will publish soon. However a good extra virgin olive oil will do nicely, it does not need to be expensive
• 2 Tbsp fresh chopped garlic.
• 1-2 tsp crushed red pepper or cayenne to taste. I grind Thai red peppers for extra zing.
• 1 Tbsp dry oregano. The dry herbs have their own flavor and really work great in a dish like this. We grow our own oregano and dry the extra at the end of the summer.
• 1 Tbsp dry parsley. We also grow and dry our own parsley. I think the home grown spices have more flavor.
• 4-6 Cups of our Fresh Marinara depending on how saucy you want it. Or substitute your own favorite marinara sauce.
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
  

Directions:

1. Follow package directions to boil the paste, set aside. My style for cooking pasta:
   • Bring a large pan of water to a hard boil
   • add the pasta and stir around in the water to separate
   • cook for 7 minutes for al-dente, or 10 minutes for soft noodles.
   • drain and set aside.
     
2. Wash the shrimp thoroughly in cold water and drain in a colander.
   
3. Mx the garlic, oregano, dry parsley and pepper with the shrimp in a mixing bowl. Make sure that the shrimp is completely coated.
4. Add half the oil to the shrimp and stir.
5. Pre-heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat.
   
6. Add the rest of the oil to the pan and let it get hot, but not smoking.
7. Throw the shrimp into the pan, it should sizzle on contact.
   
8. Flip the shrimp after about 30 seconds of cooking, or after it starts to turn pink. Continue cooking for about 1 minute or until it is pink on both sides.
   
9. Take the shrimp out of the pan and set aside.
10. Sear the pasta in the hot pan, stirring to pick up all the flavors left behind by the shrimp.
11. Add the Marinara sauce and bring to a simmer.
12. Throw in the shrimp and mix in, turn off the heat.
13. Mix in the fresh parsley. This is a good time to taste for spices, you may want to add more pepper if you like it hot like I do !
    

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Copyright © 2007, 2008 Lizabetti.com, All Rights Reserved

Light and Healthy Vegetarian Marinara Sauce

This is a staple at our house. Whenever we need to throw together a quick meal, we often use the sauce to make the meal come together. We use to make a quick chicken marinara pasta or chicken parmesan. River recently used it to make a Shrimp fra Diavlo, you can also serve it as a dipping sauce for polenta.

I put extra veggies to make it even tastier as well as healthy too. This sauce is rich in vitamins and antioxidants, not to mention a healthy dose of vegetable fiber.

I make a "vat" of this sauce but it just doesn't seem to last too long. You can freeze this sauce for up to six months. I recommend you freeze it in 1-2 cup portions so that you can use as little as you want, it thaws quicker too.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup of chopped herbs (parsley, basil, oregano). The mix just depends on what you might have or your personal taste.
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 medium carrot or 2 small carrots coarsely chopped
• 3 stalks of celery coarsley chopped
• 3 cans(28 oz. each) of whole peeled tomatoes
• 2 tbsp of minced garlic
• 1-2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp of dried oregano
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1 cup of white zinfandel wine
• ground black pepper to taste
• pinch of sugar

Directions:

1. Using a food processor, finely grind the carrots and celery.
2. Coat the bottom of a large sauce pan with olive oil With the heat on medium, heat oil until it starts to shimmer, add the onions and cook until lightly brown and wilted.
3. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
4. Add the carrots and celery and cook for a few minutes.
5. Add the 2/3 of the herb mixture, the dried oregano, and bay leaves. Mix them in and cook for a few minutes.
6. Add the wine which will quickly evaporate. Turn the heat down to low.
7. Add a can of the tomatoes one at a time. Use a spatula or potato masher to break up the tomotoes slightly.
8. Add the salt and let the sauce simmer on low. Do not allow the sauce to boil.
9. The sauce tastes best when left to simmer for a few hours. Stir periodically.
10. Towards the end of the cooking, add the remainder of the herbs and continue to simmer.
11. This is optional, but if you want a more smooth sauce, use a hand blender and puree until smooth.

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Copyright © 2007, 2008 Lizabetti.com, All Rights Reserved