Emeril Lagasse’s Shrimp and Linguine Fra Diavolo continues to be one of our absolute favorite pasta dishes. My husband and I love love love it! Because, what’s not to love about such a ridiculously easy quick shrimp pasta dish that is effortless enough for a weeknight meal, yet is deceptively elegant enough to serve to dinner guests?
Well, for me, the high Weight Watchers Points value of Emeril’s original recipe wasn’t exactly ideal. It needlessly calls for way too much olive oil. And scaling back to more Points-friendly portions of whole wheat pasta and succulent shrimp doesn’t deter from the flavor or sense of fullness. I also eased up a bit on the cheese. Yeah, I’m a big fan of fresh parmesan, but the cheese truly plays third fiddle to the rich flavor of garlic, onion, and red pepper flake-infused shrimp and tomatoes.
- 8 ounces whole wheat linguine
- 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup small diced onion
- 3 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1-1/2 cups canned tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails removed
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta water
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan, optional
- Bring a large 1-gallon pot of salted water to a boil, and place the pasta in the pot. Cook for 5 minutes and then drain; pasta will be only partially cooked.
- As the pasta cooks, set a 14-inch saute pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil.
- Once the oil is hot, add the onions to the pan and cook until lightly caramelized and wilted, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic to the pan and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the red pepper flakes and saute briefly before adding the tomato sauce and tomato paste.
- Cook the sauce until reduced by about half, about 5 minutes.
- Add the shrimp to the pan and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the partially cooked pasta to the pan along with 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and continue to cook the pasta in the sauce until al dente, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Season the pasta with the salt and garnish with the parsley.
- Toss to combine and serve with grated Parmesan, if desired.
Made it tonight and it was great. Couldn’t believe how easy and fast it was to make as well. The only change I made was adding a little cajun spice and some white pepper.
Okay, so Jeff asked me to comment on what I added so here goes. I dusted the shrimp with some Tony’s and black pepper before mixing it in. Then I put a splash of red wine and about 1/8 teaspoon of white pepper in the mix. I sprinkled a bit of chile powder (not much). I think that was it. Came out great; however, you have to like it a bit spicy.
Sounds great! Thanks for sharing that. We do like it spicy!