In Italy the phrase “alla fra diavolo” (AH-lah dee-AH-voh-loh), which means “in Brother Devil’s style,” refers to a dish in which chicken is sprinkled heavily with black pepper and then grilled. In America, lobster fra diavolo became a popular restaurant dish in the 1930s—it was unknown in Italy, where they do not have American lobsters. It was one of the dishes my mother had to learn from my father’s mother, and cook properly, before she would believe that my mother was fit to marry her son.

The reference to “brother Devil” refers both to the red color of the lobster and the tomato sauce and to the hot bite provided by chile pepper in some form, which suggests that this might have originated with Abruzzese cooks who came to this country. While you may use cayenne pepper, the dried chile peppers give it a better flavor—adjust it to your degree of tolerance for hot peppers.

We’ve substituted shrimp for the lobster, but the dish may be made with either shellfish.