If you’re looking to add some Caribbean flair to your weeknight dinner, then you have to try this creamy Rasta Pasta with Jerk Chicken recipe! Rasta Pasta is a fusion dish that combines Italian pasta with Jamaican flavors, resulting in a creamy, spicy, and oh-so-delicious dish.
This dish takes inspiration from the Rastafarian culture of Jamaica, combining spicy jerk chicken with creamy pasta and a medley of colorful vegetables. The result is a satisfying, hearty, and healthy meal, guaranteed to transport your taste buds straight to the tropics.
Plus, it’s so easy to make, you’ll have dinner on the table in no time!
What is the origin of Rasta Pasta?
It is a fusion dish that blends Italian and Jamaican cuisine. It originated in Negril, Jamaica, where chefs started experimenting with jerk seasoning and incorporating it into pasta dishes. The dish typically features jerk chicken or shrimp, three colored bell peppers (red, green, and yellow), and pasta in the Rasta colors (red, yellow, and green). The Rasta colors represent the Rastafarian movement, which originated in Jamaica and is based on a belief in unity, peace, and love.
What is Jerk Seasoning?
Jerk seasoning is a flavorful spice blend that originated in Jamaica. It’s made up of a combination of deep, earthy spices with prominent notes of allspice, nutmeg, black pepper, and cinnamon. These spices are typically combined with fresh thyme leaves, onion, garlic, ginger, and fiery Scotch bonnet peppers to create a complex and spicy flavor profile.
Before grilling or smoking, the mixture is often used as a dry rub or marinade for meats, such as chicken. Jerk seasoning can also be added to other dishes, such as soups or stews, for an extra kick of flavor.
Ingredients of Rasta Pasta
The dish of Rasta Pasta is tasty and calls for only a few essential ingredients. The basics of each are as follows:
Olive oil or butter: Chicken and veggies are sautéed in olive oil or butter, which brings out their natural flavors and adds depth to the dish.
Chicken: This main protein is often seasoned with Jamaican jerk flavor to add spiciness.
Bell peppers: Vibrant and crunchy bell peppers of various colors (red, green, and yellow) are used in the recipe.
Pasta: A meal staple is pasta, usually dyed in the Rasta colors of red, yellow, and green.
Green onions are perfect for adding a subtle oniony taste and a vibrant splash of color to any dish.
Jerk seasoning: A spice mixture that gives food its distinctive Jamaican taste. Common ingredients include allspice, thyme, cinnamon, and hot peppers.
Cream: Adding cream to the pan results in a creamy sauce, which gives the dish a luxurious and satisfying mouthfeel.
Parmesan: Parmesan cheese is grated and sprinkled on top before serving to give the pasta a savory and cheesy taste.
Steps for making Chicken Pasta
- Cook the pasta well according to the package instructions. Drain the water and set it aside.
- Cut the chicken into small pieces and season generously with Jamaican jerk seasoning. Heat some oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Then add chicken to it. Cook until golden brown by stirring it properly on all sides. Set it aside from the pan.
- After that, start preparing the veggies. Slice the bell peppers into thin strips, and chop the green onions.
- In the same pan, add more oil and sauté the bell peppers and green onions until they’re tender.
- Add minced garlic and more jerk seasoning to the pan, and cook for another minute.
- Pour heavy cream into the chicken and vegetables. Stir it well and place it aside to thicken the mixture.
- Add the cooked chicken pieces and pasta to the pan with the sauce, and toss everything together until it’s well-coated.
- Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the pasta and chicken, and let it melt slightly.
- If desired, serve the Chicken Pasta hot, garnished with more green onions and some freshly chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Additional Tips for Creamy Jerk Chicken Pasta
- You can use stored chicken or leftovers if you need more time to start from scratch. In this case, you don’t need to add butter; directly start with the oil.
- You can also use coconut milk as a substitute for the cream to avoid taking in more fats.
- You can use additional vegetables like mushrooms instead of chicken if you are a vegan. It will also give a delicious taste and is more healthy.
- There is also a substitute for chicken which is prawns, which also increases the taste of the pasta.
- It is good if you are using rotisserie chicken; otherwise, raw chicken is also an option.
Rasta Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta
- 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp jerk seasoning
- 3 coloured bell pepperrs
- ½ cup green onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup chicken stock
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook the pasta well according to the package instructions.
- Heat some oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Then add chicken to it. Cook until golden brown by stirring it properly on all sides.
- Slice the bell peppers into thin strips, and chop the green onions.
- Sauté the bell peppers and green onions until they're tender.
- Add minced garlic and more jerk seasoning to the pan.
- Pour heavy cream into the chicken and vegetables.
- Add the cooked chicken pieces and pasta to the pan with the sauce.
- Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the pasta and chicken, and let it melt slightly.
Notes
- You can use stored chicken or leftovers if you need more time to start from scratch. In this case, you don't need to add butter; directly start with the oil.
- You can also use coconut milk as a substitute for the cream to avoid taking in more fats.
- You can use additional vegetables like mushrooms instead of chicken if you are a vegan. It will also give a delicious taste and is more healthy.
- There is also a substitute for chicken which is prawns, which also increases the taste of the pasta.
- It is good if you are using rotisserie chicken; otherwise, raw chicken is also an option.
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