Jerk Hen Pasta (Rasta Pasta) Recipe

Loaded with daring spices, this jerk rooster pasta is the proper mix of Jamaican-Italian delicacies. Made with plenty of bell peppers and served in a creamy sauce, each chew of this rasta pasta recipe is bursting with taste.

Flavorful Caribbean Jerk Hen Pasta

This colourful jerk rooster pasta tastes like Italian pasta took a visit to the Caribbean and picked up the island’s most treasured taste: jerk seasoning. Stirred into the veggies for a extra mellow style, each chew of this dish carries the essence of Jamaica in simply the correct amount.

The tomato and coconut milk sauce is a stupendous fusion of tropical and Mediterranean cuisines you possibly can mess around with. Add extra tomatoes and even some ricotta to make it extra Italian. Should you’re feeling like an adventurous rasta, why not add a Scotch bonnet pepper? You may even go fully vegetarian and miss the rooster. The recipe has a lot taste you gained’t even miss the rooster.

This dish is tasty however straightforward to make and is a superb dinner for busy weeknights. Topped with recent parsley for an extra pop of shade, our jerk rooster pasta might be your entryway to daring Jamaican-Italian meals and attainable upcoming journeys to each international locations for extra weeknight dinner inspiration. 🌎

What Is Rasta Pasta?

Rasta pasta, or jerk rooster pasta, is a fusion of Jamaican and Italian cuisines. It’s ready with colourful greens like bell peppers and mushrooms seasoned with jerk seasoning. Tossed in a creamy coconut milk sauce, the most effective of Jamaica’s flavors are introduced on a dinner plate.

The Italian facet of issues comes from the pasta itself, canned roasted tomatoes, and a pleasant serving to of parmesan for cheesiness. As soon as combined, this rasta pasta is a stupendous illustration of each cultures.

What Is Jerk Seasoning?

It’s a well-liked Jamaican seasoning impressed by “jerk”— Jamaica’s conventional cooking methodology, which consists of marinating or dry-rubbing meat with a spice mix to infuse most taste. To chop down on cooking time however nonetheless get the identical spiced goodness in fast, less-planned dishes, jerk seasoning was invented. It combines the nation’s most used spices like thyme, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, parsley, and many others.

Recipe Elements

I really like selfmade seasonings as a result of you possibly can customise their taste to style. Verify the recipe card on the backside of the put up for the complete ingredient quantities for the seasoning and pasta.

For the Do-it-yourself Jerk Seasoning

• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Cayenne pepper
• Paprika
• Allspice
• Salt and black pepper
• Crimson chili flakes
• Floor cumin
• Floor nutmeg
• Floor cinnamon
• Darkish brown sugar
• Dried thyme
• Dried parsley

For the Pasta

• Penne pasta – You may also use fusilli, rigatoni, fettuccine, or any type of pasta.
• Vegetable oil – Olive oil, canola oil, and corn oil all work.
• Yellow onion – White onion is an efficient substitute.
• Garlic cloves – Substitute them with 4 teaspoons of garlic powder if wanted.
• Inexperienced bell pepper
• Crimson bell pepper
• Orange bell pepper
• Yellow bell pepper
• Boneless, skinless rooster breasts – Be at liberty to make use of rooster thighs.
• Canned roasted tomatoes – You may also use canned diced tomatoes or recent ones.
• Full-fat unsweetened coconut milk – Heavy cream and half-and-half are good substitutes.
• Low-sodium veggie inventory – Hen inventory works too.
• Parmesan
• Recent parsley

The way to Make Rasta Pasta

With the selfmade seasoning and correctly cooked rooster, this pasta’s daring taste might be fairly easy.

To Make the Seasoning and Boil the Pasta

• Make the jerk seasoning. Combine all of the components for the seasoning in a small bowl till effectively mixed. Set it apart. You’ll solely use a few of this seasoning within the recipe; retailer the remaining in an hermetic container for later use.
• Boil the pasta. Fill a big pot with water and add the pasta. Deliver it to a boil over excessive warmth. Cook dinner it in line with bundle directions. Pressure it and set it apart. Should you’re cooking in components and returning to the recipe later, toss the penne in olive oil, so it doesn’t stick.

For the Veggies

• Cook dinner the onion. Add 2-1/2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to a big pan over medium warmth. Add the onion and stir effectively. Let it prepare dinner for five to 7 minutes or till softened and aromatic. Add the garlic and blend effectively. Cook dinner for one more 2 minutes.
• Add the bell peppers. Toss the bell peppers into the pan. Add 2-1/2 tablespoons of jerk seasoning. You may add extra seasoning to style. Stir effectively and prepare dinner for six minutes or till softened. Switch the combination to a plate and set it apart.

To Cook dinner the Pasta and Sauce

• Cook dinner the rooster. Add the remaining oil to the pan over medium-high warmth. Add the rooster and prepare dinner it for 2-3 minutes on either side. Don’t overcook it. Switch the veggie combination again into the pan. Season with salt and pepper to style.
• Add the tomatoes. Pour the roasted tomatoes into the pan and stir effectively. Use a spatula to interrupt them up. Let the combination prepare dinner for 7 to 9 minutes or till it begins to scale back. Don’t undercook the tomatoes, or your sauce can have a barely uncooked aftertaste.

• Pour within the coconut milk. Add the veggie inventory and coconut milk. Combine till effectively mixed. Add the parmesan cheese and stir. Switch the pasta again into the pan. Let it prepare dinner for one more 8 to 9 minutes so the sauce thickens.

• Serve. Season with extra salt and pepper to style. Serve.

Straightforward Variations

These concepts will allow you to rework this jerk rooster pasta into a number of “dishes” so that you simply by no means get uninterested in it:

• Skip the tomatoes. Including tomatoes will spotlight the Italian-Jamaican taste mix that rasta pasta is, however you may as well skip them and it’ll nonetheless come out scrumptious.
• Make it extra Italian. Add 1/4 cup of ricotta into the sauce and even enhance the quantity of tomatoes within the sauce for a extra Italian rasta pasta.
• Add spinach. Recent or frozen spinach provides taste and further veggies to your meal.
• Make it vegetarian. Take away the rooster from the recipe to make it a vegetarian meal.
• Make it spicy. For spicy pasta, chop up a Scotch bonnet pepper and add it to the sauce.

Suggestions for Success

These easy ideas will allow you to throw collectively this jerk rooster pasta a lot sooner. Don’t skip them!

• Use rotisserie rooster. Use leftover rotisserie rooster to scale back the cooking time for this recipe.
• Purchase jerk seasoning. Utilizing store-bought jerk seasoning will minimize down on prep time and keep away from you having to purchase plenty of completely different spices when you don’t have already got them.
• Prep forward. Make the seasoning, minimize your veggies, and boil the pasta prematurely so you can begin cooking as quickly as you’re house from work.

What to Serve With Jerk Hen Pasta

Since this jerk rooster pasta already has loads of veggies, carbs, and protein, it’s virtually a meal of its personal. The one different factor I generally pair it with is a lightweight salad. These are a few of my favorites:

Nonetheless, you possibly can positively serve the pasta in smaller parts and use it as a facet for non-creamy important dishes like my Honey Soy Grilled Pork Chops and Oven Grilled Steak.

The way to Retailer & Reheat Leftovers

• Should you made it with rooster, refrigerate any cooled leftovers in an hermetic container for as much as 4 days.
• Should you made a vegetarian model, you possibly can retailer it for as much as 6 days.
• To reheat it, sprinkle it with a tablespoon of water, coconut milk, or veggie broth. Give it an excellent stir and microwave it for 30 seconds. Stir it once more and microwave it for one more 30 seconds or till heat.
• You may also reheat it in a pan over medium-low warmth for five to six minutes, stirring sometimes.

Extra Straightforward Pasta Recipes

ENJOY!