Please pass the fire extinguisher....

I love spicy food.  Really.  It makes my face turn red and I sweat and I might proclaim to be miserable but I LOVE spicy food.  I once made a dish entitled spicy chili-topped spicy chili burgers and it was SO HOT that we really couldn’t eat it.  It was pretty bad (and yet, it was good all at the same time).  Would you believe that once upon I time, I didn’t like spicy foods at all?  Guess my taste buds grew up – or maybe they grew cajones – who knows?  And besides, capsaicin, the naturally occurring chemical in hot peppers like cayenne, has been shown in studies to help boost metabolism and that’s pretty awesome in my book.  After all, I’m not a teenager any more and my metabolism could probably use a boost every now and then – and, if you’re a teenager and you’re reading this, COOL! Thanks for reading!  You should definitely try spicy foods to expand your tastebud horizons!  Go you for reading a blog about food!  (don’t make fun of me to your friends, please, thanks very much.)

So anyway, there’s an Italian restaurant that we used to go to before we moved to Florida that made a seriously spicy Shrimp Fra Diavolo.  Like, so spicy, it was actually on fire when it came to the table!  Okay, not really on fire but you get my drift.  Now, if you’re wondering, Fra Diavolo is Italian for Brother Devil.  Um, perhaps you should run now?  NO!  Don’t go!!  Please stay!

Anyway, I found a recipe for Shrimp Fra Diavolo that sounded like it needed to be made.  Now, you may be surprised where I got this recipe – it didn’t come from a magazine or a website.  Have you heard of Eat This, Not That?  Well, Dave Zinczenko and Matt Goulding made a cookbook called Cook This, Not That – cute, huh?  The premise behind the book is to offer you alternatives to your favorite, super-high calorie and high fat restaurant dishes.  Now, I’m all for learning how to make good choices with my diet – every little bit helps and if I can make a healthy change that helps my weight or blood pressure or cholesterol and can help my family make healthier choices, then I’m all for it.  Remember, knowledge is power! 

The shrimp was super easy to make and I didn’t have to buy anything for the recipe besides the shrimp – which is nice because I can really spend some money when I go to the grocery store and I’m pretty tired of spending all that money on food that I never get to.  (Apparently, that pack rat mentality I have with recipes and cooking magazines can also apply to groceries – who knew?!)  This also didn’t take very long to cook which makes it a terrific option after a long day – less than 30 minutes from start to finish! 

Okay, now for the spicy part – meee..OW! ;)  I was discussing the recipe with my husband and was referencing the super spicy dish from that restaurant and my exact words were, “it only calls for 2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes; it will not be anywhere near as spicy as Mama Roma’s” (Oh!  If you live in Maryland (Odenton, specifically), go there and eat – it’s FABULOUS!).  Well, yeah, 2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes really adds some heat – really.  My mouth was ON FIRE!  It was definitely NOT as spicy as Mama Roma’s (if you do go and you do order the Shrimp Fra Diavolo, consider yourself warned) but Things 1 and 2 were looking for the fire extinguisher, my husband was fanning himself and I ate nearly an entire baguette to combat the heat.  But, YUM!  Again, if you don’t like spicy food, this is NOT the dish for you – beware the Fra Diavolo!)

Here’s the recipe.  Happy cooking, eating and drinking!

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

¾ lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

Salt and black pepper to taste

½ tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ teaspoon dried oregano or thyme

1 can (28-ounce) crushed tomatoes

1 cup dry white wine

8 ounces spaghetti

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

1.  Season the shrimp with salt and pepper.  Heat the oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat.  Add the shrimp and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until just firm.  Remove to a plate.

2.  Add the pepper flakes, onion, garlic, and oregano to the pan; cook until the onions are soft.  Add the tomatoes and wine and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

3.  Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti according to the package instruction.  Drain and return to the pot.

4.  Season the sauce with salt and pepper.  Fold the cooked shrimp into the sauce.  Pour the pasta and toss.  Serve garnished with the parsley.

4 servings

470 calories, 8g Fat (1g saturated), 1,075mg sodium 

(sorry, that's all the nutrition info I got)