Rasta Pasta
Rasta Pasta is a bold and creamy Caribbean-inspired pasta dish that combines jerk seasoning, colorful vegetables, and tender noodles in a richly spiced sauce. This adaptable comfort food blends vibrant flavor with endless possibilities, making it a beloved fusion favorite worldwide.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces 450 grams of dried pasta
- 2 large chicken breasts or 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 tablespoon for frying the chicken and 1 tablespoon for sautéing the bell peppers
- 3 tablespoons jerk seasoning 1.5 tablespoons for seasoning the chicken, and 1.5 tablespoons for the sauce
- 3 bell peppers in assorted colors thinly sliced
- ½ cup sliced green onions
- 2 to 3 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ cup 60 ml vegetable or chicken stock
- ½ cup 120 ml heavy cream or half-and-half
- ½ cup 80 grams grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook the pasta until just “al dente,” as it will continue cooking in the following steps. If you're using rotisserie chicken, simply shred it and set it aside. For raw chicken breasts, cut them into cubes, coat them in jerk seasoning, and cook in a skillet until golden brown and fully cooked through. Once done, remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside for later.
- In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat the vegetable oil and sauté the sliced bell peppers along with the green onions until they begin to soften. Add the minced garlic and cook for about a minute, or until fragrant.
- Stir in the jerk seasoning to coat the vegetables and bring out the spices. Pour in the heavy cream, vegetable stock, and the cooked chicken. Let the mixture simmer for a few minutes until the sauce slightly thickens. Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese until melted and fully incorporated, then add the cooked pasta and toss everything together until well coated in the sauce.
- Garnish with chopped chives, green onions, or parsley before serving.
Notes
Penne is my recommended pasta for this dish, but you can easily substitute it with rigatoni, bucatini, fusilli, macaroni, or farfalle (bow tie) if you prefer.
This pasta has a spicy kick due to the amount of jerk seasoning, so if you’re sensitive to heat, consider using only half the amount to tone it down.
Shredded rotisserie chicken or any leftover cooked chicken works great here, but if you don’t have any on hand, simply use raw chicken—just sauté it with jerk seasoning and vegetable oil before you begin cooking the bell peppers.
To make this Rasta Pasta dairy-free, you can replace the heavy cream with full-fat coconut milk or crushed tomatoes for a rich and flavorful alternative.
This pasta has a spicy kick due to the amount of jerk seasoning, so if you’re sensitive to heat, consider using only half the amount to tone it down.
Shredded rotisserie chicken or any leftover cooked chicken works great here, but if you don’t have any on hand, simply use raw chicken—just sauté it with jerk seasoning and vegetable oil before you begin cooking the bell peppers.
To make this Rasta Pasta dairy-free, you can replace the heavy cream with full-fat coconut milk or crushed tomatoes for a rich and flavorful alternative.