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Creamy Jamaican Rasta Pasta with Jerk Chicken

Close-up of creamy, orange-hued rasta pasta mixed with chicken pieces and sliced red and yellow bell peppers.
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This Rasta Pasta recipe brings bold Caribbean flavor to your weeknight table. You get tender chicken coated in jerk seasoning, colorful peppers, and a rich, creamy sauce tossed with penne pasta. It is a quick, satisfying meal.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound penne pasta
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 cup jerk seasoning (use more for extra heat)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Cook the penne pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Set the pasta aside.
  2. While the pasta cooks, season the chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and jerk seasoning.
  3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside.
  4. Add the chopped onion and bell peppers to the same skillet. Cook until the vegetables soften slightly, about 5 minutes.
  5. Add the minced garlic to the skillet and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  6. Pour in the diced tomatoes (with their juice) and the chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it cook for 3 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
  7. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir in the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened.
  8. Return the cooked chicken to the skillet. Stir to coat everything in the sauce.
  9. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet. Toss everything together until the pasta is fully coated. If the sauce seems too thick, add a splash or two of the reserved pasta water until you reach your desired consistency.
  10. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve immediately, garnished with fresh parsley.

Notes

  • For a shrimp version, substitute the chicken with 1 pound of peeled and deveined shrimp. Cook the shrimp just until pink, about 2-3 minutes per side, before setting aside.
  • If you want a vegetarian rasta pasta, skip the chicken and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. You can add mushrooms or chickpeas for texture.
  • If you do not have jerk seasoning, you can create a quick substitute using allspice, thyme, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, and black pepper.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://kitchenslang.com/rasta-pasta-creamy-jerk-chicken-recipe/