Seafood Fra Diavolo (Arrabbiata Sauce)

You Will Need:

1. A Decent Chef Knife
2. 12 inch Cast Iron Skillet or Sauté Pan
3. A Long Handled Wooden Spoon
4. Something to Boil and Drain Pasta In

Ingredients

1. 1lb jumbo or XL shrimp (16/20 ct or larger… that refers to the number of shrimp in a pound, by the way)
2. 2 lobster tails (optional)
3. 1 lb frozen calamari
4. ¼ cup olive oil
5. Basil: sprig of 4-5 leaves attached at the stem, plus 5 or so more leaves, torn, for finishing
6. Sprig of Thyme
7. ½ teaspoon (3-finger pinch) of hot chili flakes
8. 1 tablespoon Calabrian Chili Peppers (if you can’t find these, just add a dash of hot sauce… or any Thai or Asian chili paste also works great here)
9. 7-8 garlic cloves, slivered
10. 1 large shallot, finely minced
11. 6 oz can of tomato paste
12. 2 tablespoons vodka (optional, but definitely use if also using cream)
13. Umami Bomb – At least 3 of the following:
    • 2 tablespoons anchovy paste
    • Squeezed head of roasted garlic
    • 2 tablespoons miso paste
    • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
    • ¼ teaspoon MSG (optional)
14. 1 8oz bottle of Snow’s Clam Juice (or seafood stock)
15. Juice and zest of 2 lemons
16. 1 tablespoon heavy cream (optional)
17. 1 lb pasta, cooked according to package directions (any long shape pasta works well here).

Instructions

1. Thaw seafood in bowls of ice water if necessary
2. Add cold oil – perhaps ¼ cup – to the bottom of a cold 12 inch Cast Iron Skillet or Sauté Pan
3. Add shallot, garlic, chili flakes, Calabrian chilis (or whatever you’re using in their place) and thyme to the skillet
4. Heat skillet on low – the idea here is to infuse the oil; the shallot and garlic should become soft and sizzle slightly but shouldn’t be allowed to brown too much
5. Once things are sizzling, add the tomato paste and umami bomb and allow to fry, stirring until well incorporated.
6. Turn heat to medium-high
7. Add vodka and flambé (yell “Flambé!” for dramatic effect)
8. Add clam juice (or seafood stock) and the juice and zest of the 2 lemons and bring to a brisk simmer. Allow liquid to reduce until you can catch a glimpse of the bottom of the pan when a wooden spoon is dragged through it
9. Remove thyme sprig if you can find it.
10. Add thawed seafood and cover; allow seafood to cook through, 5-7 minutes – if using lobster tails, give those an additional 5 minute head-start.
11. While seafood is cooking through, cook pasta according to package directions. 1 minute before pasta is done, use a coffee mug to scoop out about ½ cup of the starchy pasta water; reserve
12. Drain pasta, then return to the pan with the sauce. Add a splash of cream if desired.
13. Toss and stir vigorously, adding a splash of the reserved pasta water from time to time, until a glossy sauce begins to form and stick to the pasta

Serve with garlic bread, extra Parmesan, torn basil, and wheels lemons for squeezing over the pasta at the table

My buddy Lucas’ dog, Claire, really wanted some – in case it’s not obvious from the picture!