One-Pot Diavola Pasta Shrimp (Print Version)

Spicy Diavola pasta combining chicken, shrimp, and tomato sauce cooked all in one pot.

# Ingredient List:

→ Proteins

01 - 9 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
02 - 7 oz frozen raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (thawed if possible)

→ Pasta

03 - 10.5 oz dried penne or rigatoni

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

04 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
07 - 1 fresh red chili, thinly sliced (optional)

→ Sauce

08 - 14 oz crushed tomatoes
09 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
10 - 3 cups chicken broth
11 - 1 tsp dried oregano
12 - 1 tsp dried basil
13 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
14 - 1/2 to 1 tsp red pepper flakes, to taste
15 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
16 - 2 tbsp olive oil

→ To Finish

17 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
18 - Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
19 - Lemon wedges, to serve

# How-To Steps:

01 - Warm olive oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
02 - Add chopped onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until translucent. Stir in garlic, diced red bell pepper, and sliced chili if using, then cook for 2 additional minutes.
03 - Add chicken pieces and sauté until browned evenly, about 3 to 4 minutes.
04 - Mix in tomato paste, smoked paprika, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes; cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
05 - Pour in crushed tomatoes and chicken broth, then bring the mixture to a boil.
06 - Add dried pasta and a pinch of salt. Stir well, reduce heat to simmer, partially cover, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
07 - Stir in shrimp and cook uncovered for 5 to 7 minutes until pasta is al dente and shrimp are pink and fully cooked. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
08 - Remove from heat and stir in grated Parmesan cheese.
09 - Plate immediately, garnishing with fresh basil leaves and lemon wedges.

# Helpful Tips:

01 -
  • One pot means one cleanup, and honestly, that alone makes weeknight dinner feel manageable again.
  • The shrimp and chicken create this perfect textural contrast against tender pasta coated in a sauce that tastes like it simmered for hours but doesn't.
  • It's as spicy or gentle as you want it to be, making it easy to adjust for whoever's eating at your table.
02 -
  • Don't skip the blooming step for your spices—that minute of cooking them in the paste transforms them from background notes into the song itself.
  • Shrimp cook fast, so watch the clock in those final minutes; you want pink and just-set, not gray and bouncy.
  • Taste as you go near the end; one-pot cooking means flavors concentrate differently than when liquid reduces separately, so you might need less salt than expected.
03 -
  • Toast your dried herbs directly in the hot oil and paste for thirty seconds before adding liquid—it wakes them up and deepens their flavor in ways that feel almost like fresh herbs by comparison.
  • Keep the lid only partial during pasta cooking so you can monitor the liquid level and give it a stir; too tightly covered and it boils over, too open and the pasta sticks.
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