Soup Fra Diavolo

TFW you have a seriously specific food craving but you've made a solemn vow to eat soup all month.

No? Just me? Cool.

In case it's not just me, here's a hot tip the alien lizard soup overlords don't want you to know: You can pretty much turn anything into a soup. Just add broth! Magic!

My specific dinner desire was noodles (uhdoyyy) with a spicy tomato sauce: linguine fra diavolo. You know what the first word means; the next two mean "brother devil." Thankfully, neither of my brothers are anywhere near devilish - I'm not an enormous fan of cannibalism.

Measure your pasta to about the size of a quarter for just the perfect proportion.

I put shrimp in this here pot because I had shrimp, but, brother (devil), that shrimp was not the star. This broth turned out so balanced and satisfying that with every bite I had to remind myself it only took about 20 minutes to make. The point is, if you're not a shrimp eater, you can leave it out and enjoy this soup just as much as I did (which was molto).

You can really change up the spice level to your taste - if you're looking for more of a fra angelo I'm pretty sure this would still be one dang satisfying bowl. You could also use another type of pasta if linguine/splashing things all over your shirt is not your jam.

But like I said, the broth is where it's at. The acidity of the tomatoes mixes with the earthy greenness of the kale and herbs and the spice to make every sip of broth feel like a high five for your tongue. And there's nothing that warms me up quite like some carbs on a winter's night.

Also: Happy National Homemade Soup Day apparently! Who knew? (My friend Dave knew, to be clear.) So glad we could celebrate this together, each of us.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo Soup
2 meal-sized servings

Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 a medium red onion, small diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 a glass of white wine (optional - and approximate. I had some and decided to use it, and it certainly made a difference in the depth of broth flavor.)
1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes
3 cups vegetable or chicken broth (I used Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base (vegetarian))
crushed red pepper flakes to taste (I used about a teaspoon in total)
1/4 pound linguine
4 large kale leaves, ribs discarded and leaves cut into ribbons
2 sprigs thyme, leaves picked
1 sprig oregano, leaves picked and minced
1 sprig parsley, leaves picked and minced (plus more to garnish if desired)
~1/4 pound medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

Heat a pot over medium heat and add a splash of extra virgin olive oil (about 2 teaspoons). Add garlic and onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook 4-5 minutes, until onion is soft and translucent but not browning. Add white wine and cook until most of the wine has evaporated – this will happen quickly, probably about one minute. Add can of tomatoes (do not drain), broth, and your desired amount of red pepper flakes (don’t wuss out on me now, baby), stir, and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low to let it simmer while you cook your pasta.

Heat a small pot of salted water over high heat until boiling. Add linguine, broken up as much as you’d like. I broke it in half because I wanted long, slurpable noodles – but not so long as to necessitate a fork. Cook until just al dente (mine took about 7 minutes but it’s all about checking for doneness, AKA getting to eat pasta sooner), then drain.

Taste the broth for seasoning and add more salt, pepper or crushed red pepper if desired. Add shrimp, kale, oregano, thyme and parsley to your soup base, and cook for two or three minutes, until shrimp is just cooked through. Add pasta and serve, sprinkling with a bit more red pepper flakes and parsley. I threw in some grated pecorino romano about halfway through my bowl, because I had it and it didn’t seem like an awful idea. It changed the thickness of the broth and the salt levels, of course, and I always love a little mid-meal makeover. But tbh, I preferred it senza formaggio.