We all have favorite dishes we order out at restaurants and then try to recreate at home. Whether it’s Cincinnati Chili that tastes just like Skyline’s, cinnamon rolls that taste like they’re from the mall, or all-you-can-eat soup, salad, and breadsticks, we love copycat recipes we can make in our own kitchens. What’s even better is when the taste-alike is easy to make. Because if it’s too much work, we might as well just get takeout.
My mother-in-law has one such dish she used to order at a nearby restaurant—Shrimp Fra Diavolo from the local Bravo! Italian Kitchen. When she learned a simple way to throw it together on her stovetop, she never looked back.
Copycat Bravo! Shrimp Fra Diavolo
Fra Diavolo is a tomato-based sauce flavored with seafood and made “devilishly” spicy with red pepper flakes. It can be prepared with lobster, shrimp, or a mix of different shellfish. We love this dish in our family and make many different versions depending on our mood. But Bravo! Italian Kitchen’s Shrimp Fra Diavolo is among our favorites, served with “campanelle pasta, spicy tomato cream sauce, and lobster butter.”
While it’s relatively straightforward to make at home already, and delicious to order at the restaurant, it’s hard to beat this copycat version that takes two grocery store jars and turns them into a gourmet pasta dinner. Here’s how.
Bravo! Italian Kitchen
How to Make Shortcut Shrimp Fra Diavolo
We’re almost too embarrassed to share the secret. Almost…Though, really there’s no shame in relying on store-bought shortcuts to make meals. And this is one such example. Here’s what you’ll need for four to six servings:
- 1 15-ounce jar spicy arrabbiata pasta sauce (we use Rao’s)
- 1 15-ounce jar Alfredo sauce (again, Rao’s)
- 1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 pound of campanelle pasta (or your preferred shape)
The easiest method is to heat the two jars of sauce together in a large saucepan. Once the sauce is hot, add in the shrimp and cook until the shrimp are opaque, about 7-10 minutes depending on size.
Meanwhile, you’ll bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente according to the package directions, about 10 minutes.
Cooking the shrimp in the simmering sauce keeps the shellfish plump and juicy and imparts the spicy tomato flavor into each bite. Alternatively, you can sauté the shrimp first in a splash of olive oil with garlic, red pepper flakes, and a sprinkle of Italian seasoning if you prefer to have a sear on the pieces. If you go this route, just pour in the jars of sauce after the shrimp have cooked about 2 minutes per side, before they are fully cooked. Bring the whole pot to a simmer for a few more minutes until the shrimp are cooked all the way through.
Serve the shrimp and sauce over pasta or add the cooked pasta directly into the sauce pot to get your noodles beautifully coated in Fra Diavolo goodness. Garnish with red pepper flakes for extra kick and fresh parsley for pop of color. I also sprinkle with Pecorino Romano—just don’t tell my Italian ancestors I mix cheese and seafood.
One note: You can also use regular tomato sauce and season with red pepper flakes to have better control over the spice level. I have used a 24-ounce jar of Rao’s Marinara from my pantry stockpile with equally tasty results.
The creamy, spicy tomato sauce is a perfect complement to sweet shrimp and toothsome pasta. It all comes together in less than 30 minutes—and is mother-in-law-approved, too.
