Good morning again everyone.

Happy Father’s Day to all of us dads here and in the audience and on all of the ships at sea. 

We usually have some sort of to-do at the right house on Father’s day weekend, because about half of my entire family was born in the middle of June so we just combine all of that shit together into 1 big festive hootchie-fatch.

That heat wave hitting the Southwest that you’ve been reading about manifested into 68 degree highs with extremely deep marine layer over the coast. I don’t think we’ve hit 70 degrees yet. Like all fucking year.

[Editors note. We hit 77 yesterday. As you were]

I ain’t complaining over here. Shit man, that’s exactly why I live on the water so my ass doesn’t get baked like a goddamn Gila Monster.

While doing some of my typical recipe research trying to find any type of inspiration out there, I came across a couple of ideas that should tide us over for a few weeks including today’s menu and a second italian recipe that’s much less Americanized than this one we have today.

All y’all familiar with “Fra diavolo?” You can easily find many variations of it in a majority of Italian restaurants. It’s usually shrimp or chicken that plays the protein role.

Break that shit down for us would you Wikipedia?

“Fra Diavolo (from Fra Diavolo, nickname of 18th century guerrilla leader, in Italian “Brother Devil”) is a spicy Italian-American tomato sauce for pasta or seafood, made with crushed red pepper, garlic, and fresh herbs like parsley and basil. The sauce is made by sauteing chopped onions in olive oil, then adding tomatoes (canned or fresh), crushed red pepper and garlic. Some recipes add white wine.”

Well holy shit. Surprised I haven’t done this one before since it’s right up my motherfucking alley. Spicy tomato sauce with onion, garlic, white wine and herbs?

Yes, it is indeed very similar to an Arrabbiata sauce.

Just to clear the record, my research says it’s pronounced “Frah dee ah VOL oh” so you can look like a well traveled person when you order this shit in a restaurant. 

Let me at that shit.

Best things about making this are the ease and rapidity that it comes together and also with just a handful of ingredients you can bring out serious restaurant quality food.

This is a keeper and easy as hell to assemble.

You all understand that one of the very KEYS to Italian cooking is the few number of ingredients. As I was drifting around checking different sites for this menu one of the fucking genius comments said something like “I thought this sauce would be more complex. Maybe adding some butter or heavy cream…”

Sir?

Fuck you.

Just fucking fuck you.

Simple with few ingredients you goddamn dipshit.

In fact, this shit was so easy to assemble that I just fucking HAD to elevate the entire challenge if I’m bringing this thing to Sunday Gravy.

Which also means…

Fresh bread!

recipe right here.

Oh shit. Here he goes again.

Proof the yeast.

Then using the paddle attachment mix the “sponge.”

Attach the hook and add the rest of the flour and set a timer for 10 minutes.

You know how this shit works! Into a lubed bowl for an hour, punch down. Let rest for another half hour then punch down again and shape and score with a bread knife.

Cover and rest in a warm place for another half hour.

Finally, baste with the egg wash then bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 25 minutes.

Which, if all goes right should yield this.

Alright then.

Let’s get to the main event.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

recipe courtesy of the mediterraneandish.com

1 or so pounds large or medium shrimp, peeled and deveined.

Kosher salt

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, more to your liking

Extra virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup dry white wine – pinot grigio for me please.

1 15- ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, or plain fire-roasted tomatoes

¼ cup tomato paste

Black pepper

2 teaspoons dried oregano

½ cup chopped fresh parsley

Bring out the shrimp!

This was obviously 21-25 count or “medium” sized shrimp. Use what you like. Not too goddamn shabby of a price either. I could get used to that.

Toss the shrimp with the salt and the 1st teaspoon of red pepper flakes.

Pour some oil in a skillet, heat it up then toss in the shrimp for about 45 seconds to a minute.

We’re not looking to fully cook these fuckers right now, so hold yer damn britches about it not being fully cooked.

They’ll finish cooking in the sauce but cook most of the pink out of them.

Set the shrimp aside for a bit and using the same skillet toss in the chopped onion.

Why yes, it does smell fucking lovely up in here.

Then in goes the garlic for just a few moments.

Next you’ll be needing some of this.

Yeah, you’ll need some for the recipe but you really want some of this to drink. Plus it’s a fucking perfect wine pairing with this meal.

It’s not an accident that you see a lot of pinot grigio on Sunday Gravy because I love this shit wholeheartedly.

Dump one cup of the wine in with the onions and garlic and reduce by half.

It’s a pretty quick reduction too. Just a couple of minutes.

Let’s gather the rest of the players for this dish.

Yes, I did buy store bought pasta because I wanted angel hair pasta and my pasta cutter doesn’t cut that small. That would be a fucking challenge getting the dough at the right texture where you could run it through an angel hair cutter. I might be up for that challenge.

Besides, I’ve got a plan between this menu and one you’ll see in a couple of weeks, so work with me here.

See if you can time out the pasta finishing cooking at the same time as the sauce. That’s the key here.

Get those tomatoes, the tomato paste, and the red pepper flakes and herbs into the skillet and cook for about 20 minutes.

Keep cooking until the sauce starts to tighten up and the flavors are fully combined.

That’s looking nice.

Now chop up that parsley.

Finally all we have to do is get those shrimp back in the pool. Just 2 minutes ought to do it.

Stir in the parsley and get ready to party.

Hey look at that shit! That’s gorgeous!

The pasta is done just in time. Plate that business up already.

Of course I broke out the red plate for “Brother Devil.”

You know what to do next.

That’s a spinach salad with red onion, perfectly ripe strawberries, some almond slivers and a slight crumble of Stilton cheese on top.

Hell yes you want to grate some parmigiano reggiano on top of the pasta. 

We’ve also got a glass of the very same pinot grigio used in the sauce and finally yes. Yes I did turn that lovely loaf of just made bread into garlic toast.

How about a close up?

Damn right.

I didn’t use but maybe half of the loaf of bread today and I froze the rest because garlic bread will be seen on the previously mentioned future Sunday Gravy.

And on THAT motherfucker I will be making pasta from scratch.

May you ask enjoy the rest of your Sunday and enjoy Father’s Day or not. That’s entirely your call. 

Be well everyone and we’ll see you next week.

PEACE!