Rasta Pasta

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Bold, Caribbean flavors pop in this Jamaican-inspired Rasta pasta! With Jerk chicken, a creamy sauce, and bell peppers, this pasta recipe brings it!

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Total Time40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Caribbean

Servings: servings

Calories: 496kcal

Author: Jocelyn Delk Adams

Equipment

Ingredients

8 ounces tube-shaped pasta penne, rigatoni, mostaccioli
2 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
1 pound chicken breast 1-inch dice
2 tablespoons jerk seasoning divided
1 large yellow onion thinly sliced
2 large or 3 medium bell peppers mixed colors, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves minced
1 cup chopped tomatoes
3 sprigs thyme
¼ cup chicken stock
½ cup half and half

Instructions

In a large stockpot, boil 4 quarts water with salt and cook pasta until almost done, about 6 minutes. Before straining, reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Strain and set aside.
In a large skillet, add 1 tablespoon oil and heat over medium-high heat. Sear chicken in two batches and season each with ½ tablespoon jerk seasoning, browning quickly on the outside but not cooking all the way through about 4 minutes per batch. Remove the chicken from skillet and place on plate.
Heat remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and add onions and peppers. Season with remaining 1 tablespoon of seasoning. Keep stirring vegetables as they continue to cook and don’t burn (reduce heat a bit if they start to cook too quickly). Cook until peppers and onions are soft and translucent with a little bit of caramelization and most of the moisture is cooked out, about 8 minutes. Add in garlic and thyme and cook for an additional minute.
Add in chopped tomatoes and scrape the bottom of the pan, removing all the browning from the bottom of the pan into the vegetables. Cook until all the moisture is gone, about 3 minutes.
Pour in chicken stock and return the chicken to the pan. Cover and cook until chicken is fully cooked, about 5-6 minutes.
Remove lid and add half and half. Stir together. Reduce heat to medium low and continue cooking until the sauce reduces and thickens a bit, coating everything, about 5-6 minutes. (If mixture becomes stodgy and the sauce has reduced too much, add a little pasta water to thin in out.) Stir in pasta and serve immediately.

Notes

Salt the Pasta Water Right: Y'all, seasoning your pasta water is KEY to flavorful rasta pasta. Aim for about 1 tablespoon of salt per 4 quarts of water. It might sound like a lot, but it's gonna give your pasta a subtle flavor boost.
Go for Pasta's Perfect Timing: Cook your pasta until it's just shy of al dente. Why? Because it's gonna keep cooking when you toss it with that heavenly sauce in the skillet. That way it won't turn into a mushy mess.
Sear Chicken with Care: When you're browning your chicken, don't cook it all the way through. Just focus on getting a nice sear on the outside. It'll finish cooking in the sauce, keeping it tender and juicy.
Let the Flavors Marry: After adding the pasta back to the skillet with your chicken, veggies and sauce, give it a little time to simmer together. A few extra minutes means every bite is infused with that spicy, creamy goodness.

Nutrition