Deglazed Recipe: Shrimp in Arrabbiata Sauce + Garlic Crostini

Three years ago my husband (boyfriend at the time) and I decided to take the bus up to New York and do some exploring.  We got in late Friday night, dropped our things off at the hotel and began walking to West Village.  We had been hoping to just pop into Mario Batali’s restaurant, Babbo, and snag a table with no reservation.  Of course that didn’t happen and we ventured onward. 

We decided to walk in to a non descript little spot where we were quickly shown to a table and given a bottle of the house wine. We started with the calamvari, which was flash fried and very tender, then ordered the shrimp fra diavolo.  It came out steaming, packed a punch heat wise and I decided to create my own version once we got home.

The shrimp were coated with a thick tomato sauce and the flavor profile was very much like an arrabbiata sauce.  Arrabbiata means “angry” in Italian and that is due to the amount of red-pepper flakes used.  It’s my favorite tomato based sauce.

My style of cooking is simple, fresh and elevated by the quality of ingredients I use.  
I use a Greek olive oil that has a really rich color, aroma and sticks on your lips. 

I use only kosher salt and grind black peppercorns in my spice grinder weekly so that the pepper is fresh and a bit coarser than what my pepper grinder can create. 

This recipe is based around basic pantry items, which makes it great for weeknight cooking. 


I just had to run out for the perishable items and when in need of fresh seafood and good Parmesan, I head to Eastern Market. 

Eastern Market is DC’s oldest fresh food public market.  Hugely popular, the market is known for its fresh blueberry pancakes, half smokes, and insanely good slab bacon.  If you ever go make sure to stop by the cheese counter and ask to try the Parmesan-Gouda.  It’s perfection.

Ingredients: Shrimp in Arrabbiata Sauce
 2 tablespoons of good extra virgin olive oil
 1 small onion, diced
 1 large pinch red chili flakes; or 2
 2 garlic cloves, grated
 1 28oz can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
 1 tablespoon dried oregano
 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
 ¼ teaspoon cayenne powder
 Kosher salt + fresh cracked black pepper

 ¼ cup of chopped, fresh basil

 grated Parmesan cheese for serving

 1 pound shrimp, peeled + deveined* 

    *Using frozen shrimp instead of fresh shrimp works perfectly

Ingredients: Garlic Crostini
 1 baguette, sliced
 1 garlic clove, peeled
 extra virgin olive oil
 Kosher salt + fresh cracked black pepper

Steps:

► Pre-heat the oven to 400.
► In a large and deep sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and cook until softened and translucent, stirring occasionally.  

► Add the red chili flakes + garlic and cook until fragrant.  

► Add the whole can of crushed tomatoes, stir and bring to a simmer.  Add the oregano, sugar, cayenne, salt + pepper, cover and let the sauce thicken for about 10 minutes.
► Meanwhile, slice the baguette and lay on a sheet pan.  Drizzle the crostini with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Place in the oven and let both sides get golden brown.  Take the crostini out of the oven and rub each slice with garlic. 

► Add the shrimp to the thickened sauce, and bring to a medium-high heat.  Nestle the shrimp in the sauce, cover and let the shrimp poach in the sauce for about eight minutes.  Once the shrimp are fully cooked turn the heat to low and finish the sauce with fresh basil.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

► Ladel into serving bowls, top with freshly grated Parmesan and serve with the garlic crostini.


Ta Da!

► Lastly, don’t forget to thank your Sous Chef.

Note: Arrabbiata sauce freezes well, just heat up over low heat with a splash of water.
Buon Appetito, 
  • limefish studio - THANK YOU Meg for such an awesome Contributor post! I can’t wait to try this recipe! 🙂February 18, 2013 – 10:57 pmReplyCancel

  • Anna S - YUM. Can’t wait to give this a try! Thanks, Meg!February 19, 2013 – 12:57 pmReplyCancel

  • Emily @Delightfully DIY - This looks delicious! Arrabbiata sauce is one of my absolute faves, but for some reason I’ve never considered making it! Can’t wait to try out this recipe!February 27, 2013 – 11:37 amReplyCancel

  • Niki Park - Great post! Loved the ‘angry sauce’ explanation:)March 20, 2013 – 10:40 pmReplyCancel

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