Dish of Pasta with Fra Diavolo Sauce
(click to enlarge)

Fra Diavolo Sauce


Italy   -   Salsa Fra Diavolo
For 1 #
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 Pasta
***
1-1/2
Yes		 A favorite Italian Pasta or Seafood sauce with more chili heat than most Italian sauces (but not Southern California hot). See also Story.




28
5
4
----
1
1
1
----
2
1
2
1
oz
oz
cl
---
t
c
t
---
T
T
T
t
can Tomatoes (1)  
Onion
Garlic
-- Seasoning
Chili Flakes (2)
Wine, White (3)
Oregano, dry
-----------
Parsley, flat
Basil Leaf (4)
Olive Oil ExtV
Salt
Prep   -   (35 min)
  1. Drain TOMATOES rserving all juice. Crush them, squeezing all their liquid into the reserved juice. Chop fairly small and return them to the juice.
  2. Chop ONION small.
  3. Crush GARLIC and chop fine.
  4. Chop PARSLEY and BASIL (if used) small. Mix. Measure is after chopping, lightly packed.
Run   -   (1 hr)
  1. In a sauté pan (2 quart) heat Olive Oil and fry Onion just until translucent, then stir in Garlic until aromatic, about 1 minute.
  2. Stir in Tomatoes with their juice, and all Seasoning items. Bring to a boil, turn to a fast simmer, and simmer, stirring often, until of sauce consistency (about 40 min). Don't boil it down too fast, and don't simmer until dry, small pools of liquid should still show while it's simmering.
  3. Stir in Parsley mix and Salt.
  4. Serve warm over warm pasta, or seafood. See also Eating.
NOTES:

  1. Tomatoes:

      For a simple recipe like this, canned tomatoes give best results - even if your fresh tomatoes are exceptionally tasty. We recommend California canned Tomatoes, which have soundly beaten the prestigious Italian brands in every well conducted blind tasting.

  2. Chili Flake:

      I use Indian Khandela which is fairly hot. Use your own best judgement as to how much and how hot. For details see our Chili Powders / Flake page.

  3. Wine, White:

      a dry Vermouth or other dry White Wine can be used.

  4. Basil Leaf:

      Many recipes don't include this, so it can be omitted if you don't have it, or you can use about 1 Tablespoon Mint Leaves.

  5. Eating

      This is a chunky sauce. The best way to eat chunky sauces is to pick up some sauce on your fork, and then get some pasta on it - easier with short pasta than with long.

  6. Story:

      Reason for the name Fra Diavolo (with Devil) instead of just Diavolo is not known. It could be named for a very hot tempered Italian revolutionary of that nickname who fought the French occupation. Google Translate says "fra" = between, among, in, etc. and "Diavolo" = Devil - but translates "Fra Diavolo" as Damn! - perhaps the reaction of an Italian unaccustomed to chili heat in sauces.
  7. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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