Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Nothing clears out a stuffy nose quite like spicy foods, and nothing is quite as soothing for a cold as a hot meal packed with carbohydrates (for me, anyways). Because Andy and I are both battling a case of the sniffles, I decided to make a spicy pasta dish tonight to soothe the soul. After playing around with red clam sauces and Fra Diavolo sauces, I decided to get the best of both worlds and combine the parts that I liked best about each. Fra Diavolo is any type of spicy sauce for seafood, pasta, or both. It seemed to be a logical decision to combine the pasta, spice, and seafood :o)

Ingredients

5 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

3 tbsp. olive oil

1/4 - 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (depending on taste)

2 6.5 oz. cans chopped clams, drained, liquid reserved

2 tsp. sugar

1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes in juice, coarsely chopped, liquid reserved

14 medium sized shrimp, peeled and deveined

salt, to taste

2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (*see note)

1 lb. dried pasta (linguine, spaghetti, etc.)

Cook the pasta following package directions until al dente. Drain, and set pasta aside until sauce is ready.

In the meantime, make the sauce. In a large saucepan, heat the oil. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until garlic is light golden brown. Add the reserved clam juice and boil for 3-4 minutes until reduced slightly. Add the tomatoes in their liquid, and the sugar. Boil for 7-10 minutes until slightly reduced. Add the clams and shrimp and cook just until the shrimp are pink. Add the cooked pasta and toss to coat. Transfer pasta to a large serving bowl and top with the chopped parsley. Serve with crusty garlic bread and enjoy!

*Typically, many Italians do not add Parmesan to their seafood pasta dishes, but I've never been known to turn down cheese... feel free to add it if you like!