Description
Dive into the vibrant flavors of Jamaican Rasta Pasta, where Italian-style pasta meets Caribbean spices. This creamy and slightly spicy dish is a delightful celebration on a plate that you won’t want to miss!
Ingredients
- Short pasta shapes (penne, fusilli, or rotini)
- Pre-cooked or leftover jerky beef, cut into bite-sized pieces
- Red bell pepper, sliced
- Yellow bell pepper, sliced
- Green bell pepper, sliced
- Yellow or white onion, finely chopped
- Fresh garlic cloves, minced
- Scotch Bonnet pepper, minced
- Full-fat coconut milk
- Cream cheese or heavy cream
- Non-alcoholic red wine alternative
- Vegetable broth
- Jamaican all-purpose seasoning
- Dried thyme
- Paprika
- Black pepper
- Salt
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Chopped spring onions or fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Get a large pot of salted water boiling. Cook your chosen pasta shape according to package directions until it's al dente. Drain it well, reserving about a cup of the starchy pasta water.
- If using pre-cooked jerky beef, cut it into bite-sized pieces. If cooking fresh, marinate beef strips in Jamaican jerk seasoning and cook until tender and slightly browned.
- Finely chop your onion and mince the garlic. Slice your red, yellow, and green bell peppers into thin strips. Mince the Scotch Bonnet pepper very finely.
- In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for about 3-5 minutes until it softens.
- Stir in the minced garlic and bell pepper strips. If using Scotch Bonnet, add it now too. Sauté for another 5-7 minutes until the peppers start to soften.
- Toss in your cooked jerky beef pieces and stir everything together for about 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in your non-alcoholic red wine alternative and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it simmer for a minute.
- Pour in the full-fat coconut milk and stir well. Add your cream cheese (if using) and stir until it has completely melted into the sauce.
- Sprinkle in your Jamaican all-purpose seasoning, dried thyme, paprika, black pepper, and salt to taste. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and cook for about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the drained cooked pasta to the skillet with the sauce. Use tongs to gently toss the pasta until coated.
- If the pasta seems dry, add a splash of reserved pasta water or vegetable broth until desired consistency is reached.
- Stir in a handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese until it melts into the sauce. Adjust seasonings if needed.
- Transfer the Jamaican Rasta Pasta to serving bowls. Garnish with fresh chopped spring onions or parsley and serve immediately.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: Caribbean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 600
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 70 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
Keywords: For a vegetarian option, use mushrooms or firm tofu seasoned with jerk spices. Adjust the spice level by controlling the amount of Scotch Bonnet pepper used.