Rasta Pasta Recipe | Jerk Chicken Pasta
Get ready to spice up your weeknight dinners with this colorful and flavorful Rasta Pasta recipe. It’s easy to make, filling, and incredibly satisfying. This jerk chicken pasta recipe is sure to become one of your go-to pasta dishes.
This tantalizing Rasta Pasta Recipe isn’t just a meal; it’s a journey for your taste buds. With tender marinated jerk chicken, the warmth of ginger, the kick of cayenne, and the savory embrace of Parmesan, every bite of this jerk chicken pasta is an explosion of Caribbean-inspired goodness.
Pasta is one of the all-time best dinner solutions. It’s versatile, quick to make, and budget-friendly. Not to mention a true family favorite, especially in my house. And one of my go-to pasta recipes is flavorful Rasta Pasta. It’s satisfying, loaded with flavor and so easy to make that you can whip it up for dinner in less than 30 minutes.
This Rastafarian Pasta is loaded with zesty Jerk chicken, a rainbow of colorful bell peppers, and your favorite pasta. I liked to use penne, but fusilli is another great option. It’s topped off with a silky, creamy, sauce and the perfect amount of parmesan cheese.
It’s so good and it ranks up there with my delicious recipes Cornmeal Porridge, best ever Jamaican Rice And Peas, and delicious Jamaican Oxtail Stew. Oh and if you prefer you can head on over to my Instant Pot Rasta Pasta, and try that instead.
Ps feel free to also try this Jerk Shrimp also.
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Table of Contents
What Is Rasta Pasta?
This is a Jamaican-inspired recipe made with colorful peppers, Jerk spiced chicken, and a creamy sauce. First created in Jamaica by International Chef Lorraine Washington in 1986, the dish includes colors that are reminiscent of the Rastafarian flag.
Chef Washington’s restaurant patrons began using the play on words “Rasta Pasta” to refer to the dish. The name stuck, and it’s been an international favorite ever since.
Why Make This Recipe
- Super Flavorful – The bold flavors are the perfect alternative to boring and bland pasta recipes.
- Perfect for Leftovers – This recipe is perfect for using up leftover chicken.
- Easy Meal Prep – You’ll want to prep this in advance and pack the leftovers for lunch all week long.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken – Cut two chicken breasts into thin two-inch-long strips.
- Olive Oil – Or use any light, neutral-flavored oil.
- Jerk seasoning – Jamaican Jerk seasoning blend is made with scotch bonnet peppers, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, scallions, nutmeg, thyme, garlic, brown sugar, ginger, and salt. Buy it premade from the grocery store or you can make it from scratch.
- Ginger Powder – Ginger adds a warm, sweet spiciness to the dish.
- Cayenne Pepper Powder – Adds another level of heat, but if your Jerk seasoning is already hot enough you can omit.
- Salt – Brings out the natural flavors of all the other ingredients.
- Penne Pasta – Penne holds up to the heavy sauce. Feel free to use your favorire shape or whatever you happen to have on hand.
- Butter – adds a luscious creaminess to this dish.
- Bell Peppers – Use one red, one yellow and one green bell pepper, seeds removed and cut into thin slices.
- Vidalia onion – For a hint of sweetness and flavor.
- Garlic – Use fresh minced garlic or garlic powder.
- Heavy Cream – Substitute with coconut milk, if you prefer.
- Parmesan Cheese – Freshly grated parmesan cheese complements this pasta dish perfectly.
Handy Tip: Use Good Kitchen Tools!
For the best tools to help make your recipe even easier and more successful, check out my collection of the Best Kitchen Tools on Amazon.
How To Make Rasta Pasta
Get full ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.
- In a bowl, combine chicken with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of Jerk seasoning, ginger powder, cayenne powder and salt. Toss to coat, then cover and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes (up to 8 hours) in the fridge.
- While the chicken marinates, bring 6 cups of water to a boil over high heat in a large pot then cook the pasta for 9 minutes to el dente.
- Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the water and set it aside for later.
- Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the chicken and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F / 74 degrees C.
- Remove chicken and set aside on a plate. Add butter, bell peppers, onion, and garlic to the skillet. Stir and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until the peppers start to soften a bit.
- Pour in the remaining Jerk seasoning and reserved pasta water, along with heavy cream and parmesan cheese. Cook until it starts to thicken, about 5 minutes.
- Add the cooked chicken back in, then the cooked pasta. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
- Garnish with freshly sliced green onions or parsley, serve and enjoy.
Note: Always check the chicken for doneness using a meat thermometer. The internal temperature should reach 165 degrees F / 74 degrees C before it is considered cooked and safe to eat.
Expert Tips
- Marinate chicken for at least 30 minutes, and up to 8 hours (or overnight).
- Cook pasta to al dente. This means the pasta has a little bit of resistance when you bite into it.
- Traditionally, Rasta Pasta includes 3 colors of bell peppers, but you can use what you have on hand.
- For those who like a lot of heat, add more Jerk seasoning and cayenne pepper to really kick things up. And use less, or even omit the Cayenne altogether, if you prefer a milder dish.
- Always check for doneness with a meat thermometer. The internal temperature of chicken should be 165F / 74C.
- You can also make this using already-cooked chicken or chicken leftovers if you prefer. Just add all of the Jerk seasoning to the skillet when cooking the vegetables.
Delicious Variations
- Swap The Pasta – Penne or Rigatone pasta works great for this recipe, but Fusilli, bow tie, or tagliatelle al work too.
- Add Shrimp – Swap out some or all of the chicken for jerk seasoned shrimp.
- Make It Vegetarian – Leave out the meat for a vegetarian pasta dish. For Vegan Rasta Pasta, swap butter for oil, use coconut milk in place of heavy cream and omit the parmesan cheese.
Prep And Storage
- Prep Ahead – Cook pasta noodles in advance and toss with oil or butter, then store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Cook chicken in advance and store in a separate airtight container inside the fridge for up to 4 days. Prep the rest of the recipe just before serving.
- Store – Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in a covered dish for up to 3 days.
- Freeze – Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months.
FAQs
Turn your dish into shrimp paradise by swapping out some or all of the chicken for jerk seasoned shrimp. It’s an incredible twist on the original recipe.
Jerk seasoning has some heat to it, but it’s typically not overwhelmingly spicy. If you prefer less spicy dishes, we recommend you keep the jerk seasoning but omit the cayenne pepper to soften the spiciness of this Pasta.
Penne pasta is commonly used for its ability to hold the creamy sauce and capture the flavors. However, feel free to experiment with other pasta shapes like fusilli or fettuccine based on your preference.
Similar Recipes
- Easy Jamaican Oxtail Stew. Seriously our favorite recipe to make.
- Jamaican Goat Curry. This version is better than take out.
- Cornmeal Porridge. Great breakfast treat.
- Jamaican Rice and Peas. I love to serve this with everything.
- Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken. It is easy to make and great for meal prep.
- The easiest Jerk Sauce. – yes please.
- Creamy Mushroom Chicken. A finger licking good easy recipe.
- Chicken Florentine. Cream and dreamy.
- Chicken Fricassee – An easy version of the popular French Stew.
- Instant Pot Rasta Pasta. Made simply and easily in your pressure cooker.
- Smothered Potatoes. A fab side dish.
- Mushrooms Asparagus Pasta.
Serving with
Recommended Tools
- A colander for draining pasta.
- Great saucepans for even cooking.
- For the best tools to help make your recipe even easier and more successful, check out my collection of the Best Kitchen Tools on Amazon.
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Rasta Pasta
Ingredients
- 12 ounces (350g) boneless skinless chicken breasts 2 chicken breasts, cut into thin 2-inch-long strips
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 2 tablespoons jerk seasoning divided
- ½ teaspoon ginger powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
- ½ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- 12 ounces (340g) penne pasta
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 red bell pepper with the stem and seeds removed and cut into slices
- 1 yellow bell pepper with the stem and seeds removed and cut into slices
- 1 green bell pepper with the stem and seeds removed and cut into slices
- ½ Vidalia onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 cup (232g) heavy cream
- 1 cup (90g) parmesan cheese freshly grated
Instructions
- Combine the chicken, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of jerk seasoning, ginger powder, cayenne powder and salt in a large bowl. Toss to coat, then cover and let it marinate for 30 minutes (or up to 8 hours) in the fridge.
- While the chicken marinates, bring 6 cups of water to a boil over high heat then cook the pasta for 9 minutes to el dente.
- Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, drain the pasta and set it aside for later. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat then add the chicken and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and registers 165 degrees F / 74 degrees C on a meat thermometer.
- Remove the chicken and set it aside on a plate. Add butter, red, yellow, and green bell peppers, onion, and garlic to the skillet. Cook for 6-8 minutes or until the peppers start to soften a bit.
- Pour in the remaining Jerk seasoning, reserved pasta water, heavy cream, and parmesan cheese. Cook until it starts to thicken, about 5 minutes.
- Add the cooked chicken back in, then the cooked pasta. Stir to combine.
- Garnish with freshly sliced green onions or parsley, serve, and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- Marinate chicken for at least 30 minutes, and up to 8 hours (or overnight).
- Cook pasta to al dente. This means the pasta has a little bit of resistance when you bite into it.
- Traditionally, Rasta Pasta includes 3 colors of bell peppers, but you can use what you have on hand.
- For those who like a lot of heat, add more Jerk seasoning and cayenne pepper to really kick things up. And use less, or even omit the Cayenne altogether, if you prefer a milder dish.
- Always check for doneness with a meat thermometer. The internal temperature of chicken should be 165 degrees F / 74 degrees C.
- You can also make this using already-cooked chicken or chicken leftovers if you prefer. Just add all of the Jerk seasoning to the skillet when cooking the vegetables.
