Heading to the islands? If Jamaica is your destination, take a walk on the beach then stop by any local restaurant and you just might find a Spicy Jerk Chicken Pasta dish on the menu. In Jamaica this dish is commonly known as Rasta Pasta and is served without meat. Rasta is short for Rastafarian and people who follow this religion and way of life do not eat meat. I’m pretty sure there would be other tweaks if a Rastafarian made this dish. However in Haute Mama’s Kitchen, we added chicken which is the favorite variation in our home.
This Spicy Jerk Chicken Pasta recipe is a meal that is not only filling, it is also quick to make (think one pot) and can easily be modified with seafood (shrimp, crab, lobster) or other forms of poultry. It is actually delicious when prepared in a vegetarian style too. Traditionally this dish is made with a mornay sauce however in this version you simply throw in some parmesan cheese, heavy cream and mix.
Pair this dish with a traditional Jamaican drink like Ting which is a grapefruit flavored soda, ginger beer (it’s not actual beer) or a good old Red Stripe beer. This dish also pairs well with a variety of wines including Reisling, Pinot Grio or Shiraz. The dish is not to spicy but you can add more spice or less and if all else fails an ice cold glass of water keep things cool and breezy.
Walk on the caribbean side of life with this dish that is sure to please a crowd or anyone at your dinner table.
- 2 box Penne Pasta
- 1 lb of chicken breast or chicken tenders
- 1 pack of frozen mixed veggies (corn, carrots, peas, green beans)
- 1 container of grated Parmesan cheese
- 1-2 Qt of heavy cream
- 3-4 tablespoons of mild jerk seasoning*
- 2 tbsp BBQ sauce
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- Boil pasta as per package directions.
- Cut chicken breast into cubes.
- Heat vegetable oil, add chicken and cook for 15 minutes or until almost done.
- Add jerk seasoning, BBQ sauce and frozen veggies. Cook for another 10 minutes.
- In large pan combine drained pasta & jerk chicken mix.
- Add 3/4 Parmesan cheese and 1.5 qt of heavy cream.
- Mix well. Adjust cheese and heavy cream.
- Serve immediately.
- *For the best results use mild jerk seasoning from the jar. It is a wet jerk mix.
20 Comments
Vashti (veepeejay.com)
January 22, 2015 at 12:28 AMSo why are you trying to make me hungry so late at night? I’m definitely going to try this. Now I need to go find a Ting! lol
M J
January 23, 2015 at 9:31 PMLOL. Get to making and enjoying Vee.
Vannessa
September 2, 2016 at 4:22 PMI would like to know what kind of cream to use
M J
September 8, 2016 at 11:51 AMHeavy cream
Adanna
January 24, 2015 at 4:42 PMMJ you are without a doubt the spicy jerk chicken queen. I tried this recipe and it was just bomb. Thanks so much for sharing your kitchen with mines 🙂
M J
January 24, 2015 at 8:16 PMI’m glad you enjoyed it lady. The husband loves it. I like it too but not as much as him. He could eat this every week.
Rani Robinson-Kiganda
January 25, 2015 at 12:53 PMoh my goodness! Looks like I’ll be making 2 of these. One with chicken and one without (husband is vegan). 😉
M J
January 26, 2015 at 4:53 PMLet me know when you make it Rani. It is so good and a vegan styled one will be great too. I do vegan versions of several of my favorite dishes sometimes. Looking to eat cleaner and more in tune with the Vegan lifestyle soon.
nadeen
January 25, 2015 at 11:30 PMI dont need the recipe. I just need an invite to eat it! And mek sure u hv sum ting wid it!! 🙂 I Love the food from our homeland!
M J
January 26, 2015 at 4:52 PMYes mi love! LOL. Boy do I owe you a few dishes and a Ting or 2 is most definitely in order.
Artney @ My Pretty Brown Blog
January 27, 2015 at 10:25 AMThis looks amazing!!! We used to have a Bahama Breeze in my city and this would be my go-to dish. Nothing like homemade. This may become one of my new favorites!
M J
January 27, 2015 at 11:07 AMHey Artney, Go for it. I’ve never had the Bahama Breeze version but I can imagine how delicious it it. Hope you enjoy making it at home.
Sonya
January 27, 2015 at 10:33 AMRasta Pasta just sounds cool. I’m all for vegetarian meals. I eat meat, but not everyday. So I eat a lot of vegetarian meals. I don’t eat gluten but I want a spiralizer so I can make so faux pasta dishes.
M J
January 27, 2015 at 11:06 AMOMG this would be excellent with spiralized veggies! I really need to invest in one of those gadgets. Which one do you have Sonya?
Caden
January 28, 2015 at 3:51 PMThat looks amazing. I am in LOVE with anything that uses the frozen vegetable bags! It makes life 100000 times easier. I love jerk, can’t wait to try this on my own.
M J
January 30, 2015 at 3:51 PMHi Caden.
Definitely give it a go. And yes to frozen veggies. They truly make life easier.
Stacie
February 7, 2015 at 1:00 PMI never would have thought to add these two together. I bet it’s delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
M J
February 8, 2015 at 3:08 PMThanks Stacie. Enjoy.
Jasmine
April 24, 2016 at 5:34 PMI’m making this for dinner tonight. I am marinating my chicken in a spicy homemade jerk sauce. Do I still need to add the dry jerk seasoning to it? I enjoy flavor but don’t want it to use to much.
M J
April 25, 2016 at 9:22 AMNo just use your homemade jerk seasoning. Enjoy!