Rasta pasta is creamy pasta tossed with Caribbean style jerk chicken and sauteed bell peppers. This dish is so full of flavor, and makes a great weeknight dinner that can be made in just half an hour! It’s creamy, rich, spicy, and cheesy.
What is Rasta Pasta?
I used to think that Rasta pasta came from the Rastafari culture in Jamaica but my readers told me that it’s not the case. This dish is Jamaican inspired with the 3 colored bell peppers and the jerk seasoning, it’s a very comforting pasta dish that has all the cream and cheese that you need to feel good. It also has a strong flavor, and a lovely spicy kick that will make you want to have this pasta all the time!
The bell peppers are either sauteed or roasted, and they’re just tossed along with the cooked pasta and grilled chicken in a creamy and cheesy sauce. This rasta pasta recipe makes the perfect summertime dinner dish that you will love!
I made this 2 weeks ago. it was a hit. my family keeps asking for it so I’m making a big batch tomorrow because they are going to want to take some home. hubby said it tastes better the next day and every day after and I couldn’t agree more. I use jerk marinated boneless skinless chicken thighs and large shrimp. I wouldn’t change a thing. My 5 yr old nephew said Auntie I want to take some home. I also used a jerk BBQ sauce along with a jerk seasoning that a Jamaican lady at the grocery store told me to try. it’s so good.
Lynette
Recipe Video
While this recipe is easy to make, it always helps to watch a quick video. Give it a watch below!
How to Make Pasta Rasta
Making this dish is really quick and easy to make, so if you’re looking for an easy comforting dinner that you can quickly whip up then this recipe is for you!
The Ingredients
- Chicken – either cooked or raw. Whatever you have on hand works. I usually use leftover rotisserie chicken.
- Bell peppers – I like to use red, yellow, and green bell peppers but it depends on what I have available.
- Pasta – use any type of small pasta. I like to use penne, fusilli, or bow-tie pasta.
- Green onions – or scallions. Optional but they give a lovely flavor to the dish.
- Jerk seasoning – homemade or store-bought, just make sure that it’s a really good one. Low-quality jerk seasoning will result in bland tasting sauce and pasta.
- Heavy cream and parmesan cheese – These 2 ingredients will make your pasta sauce super creamy and delicious!
- Garlic, oil and vegetable stock.
I also posted an Instant Pot Rasta Pasta version, so make sure to check it out!
The Directions
- Cook pasta in salted water according to the package instructions, take it out at “al dente” as you will cook it more in the next steps. Tip: I’m using rotisserie chicken in this recipe, but if you would like to use a raw chicken breast then cube it, toss in jerk seasoning and cook until it’s golden and cooked through. Then remove from the pot, and set aside to use later.
- Prep the veggies: Slice the bell peppers (you can use different colors of peppers), green onions, and garlic.
- Add vegetable oil to a heavy-bottomed pot, and saute bell peppers with green onions. Add the minced garlic and cook until it’s fragrant.
- Add jerk seasoning to the pot.
- Add the heavy cream, and chicken or vegetable stock to the pot. Simmer for a few minutes or until the sauce thickens.
- Add parmesan cheese to the pot, and stir until it melts in the sauce. Then finally add the chicken pieces and pasta and give everything a good mix so the ingredients are well coated in the sauce.
- Garnish with chopped chives or parsley and serve.
Also, feel free to either use shrimp instead of chicken or add both chicken and shrimp to this Rasta Pasta recipe.
What Kind of Chicken Shall I Use?
I usually use air fryer rotisserie chicken leftovers in Rasta Pasta and other recipes. It’s very convenient and the chicken tastes amazing. If I don’t have any rotisserie chicken, then I just use a raw chicken breast that I cut into strips and shallow fry with
Make It Dairy-Free
To make this rasta pasta recipe dairy-free, can omit the heavy cream, and use full-fat coconut milk or crushed tomatoes instead.
Recipe Variations
There are many different variations of rasta pasta out there, and here are a few:
- With chicken
- Without chicken
- A vegan version
- Chicken on the side (not tossed with the pasta)
- With grilled or fried shrimp
What Kind of Pasta Shall I Use?
I recommend using penne, rigatoni, or bucatini in this rasta pasta recipe, but you could also use pasta shapes like fusilli or macaroni.
Also, make sure to check out this amazing cornmeal porridge, and the all-purpose green seasoning that you can use to marinate all kinds of meat and fish.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Rasta Pasta Recipe
Recipe Video
Equipment
- Large pot
Ingredients
- 16 ounces (450 g) dried pasta
- 2 large chicken breasts or 2 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 tbsp for frying chicken and 1 tbsp for sauteeing bell peppers
- 3 tablespoons jerk seasoning 1.5 tbsp with the chicken, and 1.5 tbsp goes in the sauce
- 3 bell peppers in different colors – sliced
- ½ cup green onions sliced
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable stock or chicken stock
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream or half and half
- ½ cup (80 g) parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to the package instructions, take it out at “al dente” as you will cook it more in the next steps.
- I'm using rotisserie chicken in this recipe, but if you are using raw chicken breast then cube it, toss in jerk seasoning and cook until it's golden and cooked through. Then remove from the pot, and set aside to add later.
- Add vegetable oil to a heavy bottomed pot, and saute bell peppers with green onions. Add the minced garlic and cook until it’s fragrant.
- Add jerk seasoning to the pot.
- Add heavy cream, cooked chicken and vegetable stock to the pot. Simmer for a few minutes or until the sauce thickens, mix in the parmesan in the sauce and then mix in the pasta.
- Garnish with chopped chives, green onions or parsley and serve.
Notes:
- I recommend using penne for this recipe, but you can also use rigatoni, bucatini, fusilli, macaroni or farfalle (bow tie).
- This pasta is spicy with the amount of jerk seasoning added, so if you don’t like much spice then consider adding just half of the amount.
- Use leftover shredded or rotisserie chicken for this dish, if you don’t have any, then use raw chicken and just saute it with jerk seasoning and vegetable oil before you start cooking the bell peppers.
- Yo make this rasta pasta dairy-free, you can omit the heavy cream and use full-fat coconut milk or crushed tomatoes instead.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Heaven says
There’s no sauce with this recipe, it’s extremely dry. I even doubled the sauce and it still wasn’t enough. You need to like double the sauce portion (heavy whipping cream and broth by like 6 to even get a decent amount of sauce).
K says
Love this recipe thank you so much for sharing. This has become a regular meal in our household!
Little Sunny Kitchen says
I’m so happy that your family enjoys the recipe! Thank you for stopping back to let me know 🙂
Cathy says
This pasta recipe is awesome. Thank you for posting it.
Alison Farron says
I have made this dish several times and each time, it is a huge hit! Everyone requests it now for pot lucks!
Izik_Haze says
Add an additional 2 oz. of parmesan cheese.
Add an additional 2 oz. of heavy cream.
Add 6 oz. of tomato paste.
Add 6oz. of crushed tomatoes
And, voila!