A classic Italian pasta, this spaghetti fra diavolo is quick, easy, and delivers tons of flavor. The homemade spaghetti sauce comes together fast, making it a great weeknight recipe. Served with garlic bread, a simple salad, and red wine, this spaghetti recipe is sure to earn a place in your dinner routine.
Spaghetti Fra Diavolo Pasta
It’s no secret we love pasta! But this spicy spaghetti fra diavolo is one of the most made – and loved – pasta recipes in our household. Even my picky toddler happily slurps this down!
The homemade spaghetti sauce is simple, saucy, and SPICY! And we almost always have the ingredients needed on hand. Especially in the summer when our herb garden is in full bloom.
By nature, it’s a vegetarian recipe, but you can certainly add shrimp, ground beef, or Italian sausage. This pasta fra diavolo is a breeze to make on busy nights when cooking time needs to be short and snappy. Because let’s be real… who’s got time for crazy and complicated?!
How to Make Spaghetti: Ingredients for Spaghetti Fra Diavolo
- Spaghetti Noodles: I use dried spaghetti, but fresh pasta will work! You can also use almost any variety of pasta noodle here, so don’t feel like you’re married to spaghetti.
- Olive Oil: Don’t be scared by the amount called for. It gives the tomato sauce structure and flavor!
- Fresh Garlic: 10 whole cloves!!! Again, don’t be tempted to scale back here. Garlic is the backbone of this dish!
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: Feel free to cut back a little bit here, if you want to reduce the heat.
- Crushed Tomatoes with Basil: I don’t suggest subbing diced tomatoes here, as the sauce will end up much chunkier and less cohesive.
- Fresh herbs: Basil, parsley, and mint, oh my! Please, do not sub dried herbs.
- Salt: This recipe NEEDS all of the salt called for. And you’ll also need salt for the pasta water. Reduce the salt if you must, but be warned it will leave you with a blander pasta sauce.
- Black Pepper: This spice adds even more spice and flavor!
I also suggest having garlic bread or crusty bread on hand, for dipping. Red or white wine, for drinking. And freshly grated parmesan cheese, for sprinkling.
Let’s make Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
- Warm the oil in a large skillet until it shimmers. You’ll add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Be sure to stir frequently and cook until the garlic is fragrant BUT NOT BROWN.
- Add in the crushed red pepper and tomatoes and stir well to combine. Cook for about 15 minutes. It might look like the oil won’t ever combine with the tomato sauce, but just keep stirring. It’ll all come together.
- Toss the fresh herbs into the tomato sauce and season with salt and pepper. Stir well to combine, then taste the sauce and adjust seasonings as you desire! If the sauce tastes at all bitter, you can always add a teaspoon of granulated sugar.
- Add the cooked pasta to the sauce. Then slowly drizzle in reserved pasta water, mixing as you add it, and letting it fully absorb before adding more. Add as much or little as you desire to reach your desired sauciness level.
- Remove from heat and divide the pasta among shallow pasta bowls. Serve with cheese, wine, bread, and extra crushed red pepper flakes if you dare, eat at once!
Can I make Tomato Sauce in Advance?
- Yes, you can make this tomato sauce right before you plan on serving the recipe. Or you can make it up to 3 days in advance!
- Cook the sauce as directed, then let the sauce cool completely at room temperature.
- Transfer the sauce to an airtight container and place it in the fridge. When you’re ready to use the sauce, briefly reheat it on the stovetop before adding the pasta.
How to Cook Spaghetti Noodles
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Place the pot over medium high heat and don’t add the pasta until the water is really boiling!
- Add the pasta and stir well. Cook until al dente. The time will vary depending on the pasta you use. Keep a close eye and start testing after 7 minutes. You don’t want to over cook the pasta.
- Before you drain the pasta, be sure to reserve at least 1 and 1/2 cups of the pasta water. Pasta water thins the sauce and adds tons of flavor!
- Drain the pasta right away, then toss in the tomato sauce. Don’t run the pasta until cold water or leave it sitting in the colander (if you can avoid it).
Can I add Ground Beef or Italian Sausage?
- Absolutely! Although this spaghetti recipe is typically vegetarian, you can totally bulk it and add meat. We make this with meat sauce whenever we’re craving a heartier pasta recipe.
- You’ll add the meat after you add the oil and cook it, breaking it up with a spoon, until there’s no remaining pink. You can use this cooking method with ground beef or Italian sausage.
- If you don’t want a meat sauce but still want to add some protein, try adding cooked shrimp to this recipe. It’s delicious! I like to cook my shrimp in the oil, over medium-high heat, for about 2 minutes on each side.
Spaghetti Noodles: Can I Use a Different Pasta Shape?
- Yes, this spicy fra diavolo sauce is delicious with almost any variety of pasta.
- We love this homemade spaghetti sauce with bucatini, penne, and rigatoni best.
- But use your favorite noodle, because every pasta pairs great with this sauce.
- Gluten free pasta has come a long way, and it works well with this sauce, too. Our favorite gluten free spaghetti is Jovial brand.
Can I use Spaghetti Squash or Zucchini Noodles?
- The short answer is yes, of course you can! This homemade spaghetti sauce is delicious on almost any type of noodles.
- Obviously vegetable “noodles” won’t be as hearty as spaghetti noodles, so just keep that in mind. And the texture will also be significantly different.
- If you’ve never cooked spaghetti squash before, here’s a recipe on how to roast spaghetti squash.
- To make zucchini noodles, you’ll need a spiralizer or you can buy them pre-made.
Simple Spaghetti Fra Diavolo
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried spagetti noodles
- 1/3 cup (76ml) olive oil
- 10 cloves garlic minced
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes more or less, to taste
- 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes with basil
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the oil until it shimmers. Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until garlic is fragrant but don’t let it brown.
- Add in the crushed red pepper, and stir. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and stir well to combine. Increase to medium-high and bring to a rolling simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
- In the meantime, cook your pasta. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once at a boil, stir in the pasta and cook until al dente, 7 to 8 minutes. Reserve 1 and 1/2 cups of the pasta water, then drain the pasta well and use as directed below.
- Mix the fresh herbs, salt, and pepper into the tomato sauce and stir well to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and stir to coat the noodles. Slowly drizzle in 1 cup of the reserved pasta water, mixing as you add it, and letting it fully absorb before adding more. Add more water, if desired. Reduce heat to low and let pasta cook in the sauce for 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and divide the pasta among shallow pasta bowls. Serve with cheese, wine, bread, and extra crushed red pepper flakes if you dare, eat at once!
Alicia says
Hello, I’m planning on making this today and was wondering about the tomato puree. I couldn’t find any in the store so can I just puree some fresh tomatoes and use that?
bakerbynature says
Hi Alicia. I would buy canned whole peeled tomatoes OR canned diced tomatoes and then pulse them until they’re pureed. I’m not sure how fresh tomatoes would work as I’ve never tried that way. Good luck 🙂
Emily says
I followed this recipe exactly with fresh ingredients, and while it did turn out super yummy, it was also an oily mess. The olive oil and the tomato puree never combined, even though I spent more than 10 minutes stirring and attempting to get the two to mix. I hoped that when the pasta was added things would sort of all come together, but they didn’t and the oil stayed separate, again, no matter how much I stirred and folded. I ended up skimming what oil I could off, and ended up taking out roughly 1/3rd of a cup without much difficulty. It was still very yummy in the end, but even with all the oil I pulled back out, it was still extremely oily. Do you have any suggestions? At the moment all I can think of is to scale WAY back on the olive oil next time, perhaps only using a few tablespoons.
bakerbynature says
Hi Emily. I’m so sorry your pasta was so oily. I’ve never has this problem, but maybe go ahead and cut it in half next time and see how it turns out. It is important to *really whisk the oil into the sauce, but since you said you did that, I can’t think of a reason why it didn’t emulsify 🙁
Mickie says
My husband and I made this pasta while we were visiting our daughter, her husband and baby. Normally she would have made it but she had the flu and therefore didn’t get to try it! We all loved it and I made sure to get the recipe so I could make it when we got back home. So easy and so very tasty!!!
Laurie says
Will it kill this recipe horribly if I leave out the crushed red pepper? I don’t care for too much spice or can I cut it down a bit?
bakerbynature says
Feel free to cut it down 😉
Jamie says
This was an excellent recipe that my 10 and 13 year old boys ask for repeatedly. I’m making it again tonight 7-21-14 by request. I add Italian Sausage for the 3 men in the house. Thank you!
bakerbynature says
Hi Jamie! I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed this pasta. It’s one of our favorites, too 🙂
Kylie says
I found this recipe through Pinterest and in the spur of the moment decided to make it for my lazy Saturday lunch as I had all the ingredients in the pantry and garden. So easy and delicious! I’m so happy I found your blog! I’m excited to try out some of your other recipes 🙂
bakerbynature says
Hi Kylie! I’m so happy you made the fra diavolo and loved it 🙂 It’s one of my favorite lazy but still delicious meals!
Japhia says
Hi!
I’ve made this before and my family keeps asking for me to make it again. I would love to make this soon but I only have the dried basil, mint, and parsley. Is that okay and if so, how much would you think I could use? Do you think the flavors would come across as well?
bakerbynature says
Hi Japhia! I’m not sure if the flavor will shine through as much as it does using fresh herbs, but give the dried ones a try 🙂 I would start at a 1/2 teaspoon for each, taste, then add more if desired. Please let me know how it goes. xo
Pavle says
excellent,too good,i need to make this more often,untill i learn it by heart..
Patti says
Have you ever (or could you ever) replace mint with fresh basil?
bakerbynature says
Hi Patti! I’ve never left out the mint, but I’m sure it would be just as delicious with all basil. Let me know how it turns out, please 🙂