Seafood Fra Diavolo Spin
E
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
A spicy seafood sauce with a tomato base, simmered slowly to balance acidity and heat. Onion and garlic sautéed to sweet softness. Tomato paste and crushed tomatoes thicken and deepen flavor. A pinch of sugar cuts through tomato sharpness. Baking soda neutralizes acidity, fizz signals readiness. Cooked shellfish and fish added last to avoid rubberiness. Serve over pasta, topped with parsley and Parmesan when available. Pepper flakes give a slow-building kick. Flexible with seafood and seasoning. Classic Italian-American heat meets personal tweaks for texture and aroma.
Prep:
35 min
Cook:
30 min
Total:
65 min
Servings:
8 servings
#seafood
#Italian-American
#spicy
#pasta
#tomato sauce
#cooking tips
#seafood cooking
You know that punchy kick of spicy tomato seafood? The kind that clings to your pasta and lingers? Yeah, got to get the base right. Onion sweating down, garlic warming the pan, not burning—that’s basic but every cook botches it sometimes. Then tomatoes. I swap in fire-roasted crushed for extra smoky note, been worth every penny. Sugar and seasoning balance the sharp acid so heat builds slow, not overwhelms. Baking soda, sounds odd to add, but fizzing is the acid neutralizing—keeps sauce from biting your tongue raw. Seafood comes last because overcooked calamari turns into rubber bands. I prefer shrimp and scallops with mussels for texture contrast. Fresh parsley brightens, and cheese finishes but go light or it clobbers the delicate sea flavors. Nothing fancy, just patience and feel.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups tomato puree
- 28 ounces crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning mix
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 pounds mixed seafood (shrimp, scallops, calamari, clams, mussels)
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
- Grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese, for topping
- Twist: substitute half the tomato puree with roasted red pepper sauce for smoky flavor
About the ingredients
Use peeled yellow onions if possible rather than white or red—yellow gives natural sweetness without overpowering. Garlic amount adjustable if you want a cleaner or bolder garlic presence but never swap with powder here; fresh is critical. The crushed fire-roasted tomatoes can be replaced with plain crushed tomatoes if you don’t want that smoky note, but add a little smoked paprika as a backup. Sugar cuts tomato sharpness, but if you prefer less sweetness, cut to a teaspoon and balance with longer simmer. For tomato paste, don’t skip it—adds umami depth and thickens texture, but stir it in well before adding pureed tomatoes to avoid clumping. Substituting seafood: frozen works fine if thawed gently, but drain excess moisture. Shrimp, scallops, calamari chosen for tenderness; fish chunks can work but add later to prevent break down. Fresh parsley over dried—big difference in brightness right before serving.
Method
- Heat olive oil in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Toss in chopped onion. Stir often, watching it soften to translucent and just starting to brown on edges—takes about 7 minutes. That smell, sweet and savory, sets the base.
- Add minced garlic, stir for about 45 seconds until fragrant but not browned. Old mistake: burning garlic here turns bitter, so keep stirring.
- Pour in tomato puree and fire-roasted crushed tomatoes. A smoky undertone layers here if using roasted tomatoes. Stir in tomato paste; it thickens the sauce and adds umami punch. Add crushed red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning blend, and sugar to balance acidity.
- Lower heat to medium-low. Let the sauce bubble softly—not a rolling boil but consistent gentle bubbles breaking surface every few seconds. Simmer uncovered for about 22 minutes. Watch sauce thicken and deep red hue develop; stir occasionally but not constantly—heats uneven if neglected.
- Baking soda time. Sprinkle evenly over sauce. It fizzes and foams, neutralizing harsh acidity. Stir until fizzing stops, a sign the acid tempered. This trick avoids sour tomato taste that can ruin prolonged cooking.
- Add cooked seafood into sauce immediately. Cold or undercooked seafood in hot sauce cooks quickly but can toughen. Pre-cooked keeps tenderness intact; remember, fresh seafood cooks fast.
- Simmer together for another 5 minutes just enough for flavors to mingle. Sauce thickened, seafood warmed through, blend of spice and subtle sweetness achieved. Overcooking seafood here means rubbery calamari or mealy scallops—been there.
- Serve over your choice pasta. Long linguine or bucatini soak sauce best. Sprinkle freshly chopped parsley and a dusting of Pecorino or Parmesan shave for saltiness and color pop.
- If using, add twist ingredient (roasted red pepper sauce) before simmering for flavor complexity.
- If sauce seems too thick or starts sticking, splash warm water or seafood stock. Sauce should cling but not glue pasta.
- Common issues: burnt garlic (start over rather than risk bitterness), bland spice (add flakes gradually next time), tough seafood (pre-cook briefly or add last minute).
- Keep tasting—seasoning can hide in tomato layers. Adjust salt and pepper at end, not too early.
- Leftover sauce reinvigorates next day pasta or as marinara for bruschetta.
Cooking tips
Olive oil must be hot enough to gently bubble before tossing in onions—too cold means limp, too hot burns them immediately. Stir onions regularly until translucent with some golden marks at edges; that smell means sugars are caramelizing properly. Garlic goes in just as onions are done, 30-60 seconds max; smell it transform but dodge burning. When adding tomato components, stir quickly and thoroughly to combine paste fully; uneven paste lumps create bitter pockets. Simmer uncovered to reduce sauce until it’s no longer watery but still saucy; edges will darken slightly. Adding baking soda is a classic acidity control; fizz should be careful, not huge foam over pot—stir gently until calm returns. Seafood added cooked or raw depending on species, but raw calamari or shrimp just a minute or two max. Tell doneness by texture—flesh firm, scallops opaque, clams open shells. Serve immediately. Pasta texture matters—al dente preferred to avoid mush alongside tender seafood. Leftover sauce thickens in fridge; thin with stock when reheating.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Onion cooking phase critical. Heat oil medium-high till shimmer. Toss onion in. Stir often, watch edges just start browning lightly. Smell sweet caramel. Avoid dark browns; burns turn bitter fast. Can take 7 minutes, patient here. Stirring controls heat spots.
- 💡 Garlic timing matters. Add once onion softens. Stir 30-60 seconds max till fragrant, not brown. Burnt garlic ruins sauce with bitterness frozen in flavor. Keep moving spoon, smell changes signal ready. No shortcuts with fresh minced garlic; powder kills freshness.
- 💡 After tomato paste goes in, stir thoroughly. Clumps ruin texture. Add crushed tomatoes quickly. Sauce thickness must build gradually. Add crushed red pepper flakes carefully. Too early or too much flakes overpower spice balance. Sugar added last to soften acidity, not dull heat.
- 💡 Simmer slow, no roiling boil. Gentle bubbles breaking surface spaced. Timer isn’t exact. Visual cues of sauce thickening, edges dark red and slightly sticky tell progress. Stir occasionally but not constantly. Neglect risks uneven cooking and burnt spots under sauce.
- 💡 Baking soda addition signals reaction. Sprinkle evenly, expect fizz and foam. Stir gently till fizz stops. This tempers acidity, no leftover sour kick. Don’t overdo or sauce turns flat. Small fizzing sign you hit right acid balance. Cooking chemistry happens fast here.
- 💡 Seafood goes in last, preferably cooked. Raw seafood risks tough rubbery texture on long heat. Cold seafood into hot sauce cooks quickly but watch fish doneness visually; scallops opaque, clams open shells, shrimp curl pink. Keep heat low during seafood simmer.
- 💡 Adjust sauce thickness with warm water or seafood stock if it clings too much or starts sticking. Sauce must coat pasta well without gluey texture. Reheat leftovers with light stock for consistency. Sauce thickens in fridge but loosens on warming.
- 💡 Substitute half tomato puree with roasted red pepper sauce for smoky aroma and deeper color. Keeps sauce lively when tomatoes lack fire-roasted punch. If no roasted pepper sauce, add smoked paprika pinch but less than a chile’s heat.
- 💡 Use peeled yellow onions over white or red for natural sweetness without sharp bite. Garlic quantity adaptable to taste but fresh always; powders mute sharpness. Frozen seafood okay if thawed gently, drained well; moisture changes cooking timing slightly.
- 💡 Season late. Salt and pepper vanish in tomato layers early. Taste often near end. Burnt garlic means restart or risk grim bitterness. Spice balance adjusted incrementally next time. Seafood overcooked feels rubbery; cut simmer to bare minimum after addition.
Common questions
How to avoid bitter burnt garlic?
Stir constantly during garlic cooking. Don’t brown or leave still. Add only after onions soften. Use fresh minced garlic, powders change flavor profile. Burnt garlic taste lingers, tough to fix.
Can I use different seafood mix?
Yes. Shrimp and scallops tender, calamari quick cooks. Frozen seafood fine if thawed thoroughly. Fish chunks added last avoid breakdown. Cook raw shellfish until shells open. Adjust timing by seafood type carefully.
Why add baking soda to sauce?
Neutralizes tomato acidity fast. Watch for fizz and foam, that’s acid reacting. Stops sauce sour edge after long simmer. Too much flattens flavor. Sprinkle evenly, stir gently till fizz stops. It’s classic tomato chemistry.
How to store and reheat sauce?
Cool, refrigerate in sealed container up to 3 days. Leftover sauce thickens, thin with warm stock or water when reheating. Can freeze, thaw slowly. Reheat gently to keep seafood tender. Overheated reheated seafood rubbery, watch temperature.
