Description
You are about to create a vibrant, creamy, and flavor-packed Rasta Pasta, inspired by the spirit of Jamaican cuisine. This recipe balances the heat of jerk seasoning with a rich, colorful sauce. Liam brings his technical skill, and I bring the fun. Get ready for a performance in your kitchen!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound pasta (penne or rotini)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces (or shrimp)
- 1 teaspoon jerk seasoning (or more, to your taste)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Season chicken pieces with jerk seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned and cooked through. Remove chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- Add onion and bell peppers to the same skillet. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in heavy cream and chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly.
- Reduce heat to low. Stir in Parmesan cheese until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened.
- Return the cooked chicken to the skillet. Stir to coat everything in the sauce.
- Add the cooked pasta to the skillet. Toss gently until the pasta is fully coated.
- Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve immediately, garnished with fresh parsley.
Notes
- For a vegetarian version, skip the chicken and add a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas when you add the sauce ingredients.
- If you cannot find jerk seasoning, you can create a quick substitute using allspice, thyme, cayenne pepper, and brown sugar.
- Feel free to adjust the heat level. If you like it spicy, add a dash of hot sauce or minced scotch bonnet pepper (carefully!).
- This dish tastes even better the next day!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Jamaican/Caribbean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: Approx. 650
- Sugar: Approx. 7g
- Sodium: Approx. 550mg
- Fat: Approx. 35g
- Saturated Fat: Approx. 19g
- Unsaturated Fat: Varies
- Trans Fat: Trace
- Carbohydrates: Approx. 55g
- Fiber: Approx. 4g
- Protein: Approx. 30g
- Cholesterol: Approx. 100mg