Rasta Pasta Recipe with Jerk Chicken (extra creamy!)
This easy rasta pasta recipe is simple to make, creamy, spicy, and packed with flavor! It comes together in about 40 minutes and is perfect for a comforting weeknight dinner.
Prep Time: 10 minutesmins
Cook Time: 30 minutesmins
Servings: 6servings
Ingredients
4boneless chicken thighs(1 lb)
¼cupjerk seasoning,divided
3Tbspbutter,divided
3bell peppers(red, green, and yellow), sliced
5green onionssliced
2sprigs fresh thyme
4large cloves garlic,minced
1cupheavy cream
1tspsmoked paprika
3tspfresh lemon juice
1lbpenne pasta
½cupgrated parmesan
½cupshredded mozzarella*
Extra sliced green onion for garnish
Instructions
Boil water for pasta over high heat.
Cook chicken. Dry thighs and sprinkle with some salt and pepper and 2 Tbsp jerk seasoning to coat both sides. Heat 2 Tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium. Once butter begins to brown, add chicken. Allow chicken thighs to cook for 15 minutes without touching, then flip and cook for 15 more minutes or until the centers reach 170ºF. Remove, allow to rest for 5 minutes, then slice at an angle. While chicken is cooking you can make the rest of the recipe.
Cook veggies and make sauce. In a separate large skillet or pot, melt 1 Tbsp butter over medium-high heat. Once hot, add sliced peppers, green onion, and thyme to the skillet. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes or until just beginning to soften, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly to avoid burning. Add remaining 2 Tbsp jerk seasoning and smoked paprika and stir. Add heavy cream and stir. Bring to a gentle simmer then reduce heat to low. Allow to simmer on low (it should just barely be bubbling) for 5 minutes then remove from heat. Remove thyme sprigs. Add parmesan, mozzarella, and fresh lemon juice. Stir and cover.
Cook pasta. Once the water is boiling, salt it well** and add the pasta. Cook pasta until al dente (about 1 minute less than package directions). You can begin cooking the pasta while your veggies are cooking in step 3.
Add pasta to sauce. Using a strainer, transfer the pasta to the sauce, reserving the pasta water. Stir gently and thin with pasta water to get a nice creamy sauce (about ½ cup pasta water). As the pasta cools the sauce will continue to thicken and you can thin with more pasta water as needed.
Season to taste with sea salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
Slice chicken thighs and top the pasta with the chicken.
Garnish with extra green onion slices and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
*Freshly shredded mozzarella works best for the silkiest sauce. Try to avoid the pre-shredded kind if possible
**When adding salt to boiling water it should be salty like the sea. Just add some, taste, and adjust.
-Serve with red pepper flakes for even more spice.
-Old Bay seasoning can also be a great addition if you want some more flavor
-If you want even more flavor, I love using grilled chicken! Just marinate whole chicken breasts in jerk seasoning and 1 Tbsp olive oil or avocado oil in the refrigerator for 4 hours, then grill over medium-high heat until cooked through. Slice and arrange the chicken on top of the finished pasta dish.
-You can also use shrimp instead of chicken in this recipe! Just adjust the cook time to 3 minutes or until the shrimp are just opaque throughout.
-Pro tip: before storing any leftovers, stir in more pasta water to the cooled pasta until you have a creamy consistency again.