Name: Rasta Pasta: Caribbean-Italian Fusion at Its Best
Ingredients: 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs (thighs have more flavor, just saying); 2-3 tablespoons jerk seasoning (store-bought works, but homemade is FIRE – recipe below if you’re feeling ambitious); 2 tablespoons olive oil; Salt to taste (go easy, the jerk seasoning already has salt); 4 cloves garlic, minced (yes, 4. Don’t be stingy with garlic); 1 pound penne pasta (or rotini, whatever you’ve got); 1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips; 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced into strips; 1 green bell pepper, sliced into strips; 1 medium onion, sliced (red onion looks prettier but yellow works fine); 2-3 green onions, chopped (for garnish and because more onion = more better); 2-3 more garlic cloves, minced (told you, not stingy); 2 cups heavy cream (diet tomorrow, live today); 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated (not that sawdust in a can, please); 1/4 cup white wine (optional, but it’s also an excuse to open wine, so…); 1 tablespoon jerk seasoning (adjust to taste); 1/2 teaspoon paprika (smoked if you have it); 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (trust me on this one); Red pepper flakes to taste (I usually do 1/2 teaspoon); Salt and black pepper to taste; Juice of half a lime (the secret ingredient!); 1 tablespoon each: brown sugar, dried thyme, ground allspice; 1 teaspoon each: salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper (more if you’re brave); 1/2 teaspoon each: cinnamon, nutmeg, crushed red pepper flakes; 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves Mix it all together and store extra in an airtight container. Makes amazing popcorn seasoning too!

Description

Alright, so Rasta Pasta is basically what happens when Jamaica and Italy have a delicious food baby. I discovered this at a little Caribbean spot in Brooklyn years ago and have been obsessed ever since. It’s this incredible combo of pasta (usually penne) tossed in a creamy, spicy sauce with bell peppers in the colors of the Rastafarian flag – red, yellow, and green. Then you add jerk-seasoned chicken and suddenly your boring weeknight dinner is a full-on flavor party. It’s colorful, it’s bold, it’s the kind of meal that makes people think you actually know what you’re doing in the kitchen.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Jerk Chicken:

1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs (thighs have more flavor, just saying)
2–3 tablespoons jerk seasoning (store-bought works, but homemade is FIRE – recipe below if you’re feeling ambitious)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste (go easy, the jerk seasoning already has salt)
4 cloves garlic, minced (yes, 4. Don’t be stingy with garlic)

For the Pasta:

1 pound penne pasta (or rotini, whatever you’ve got)
1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 green bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 medium onion, sliced (red onion looks prettier but yellow works fine)
2–3 green onions, chopped (for garnish and because more onion = more better)
2–3 more garlic cloves, minced (told you, not stingy)

For the Sauce:

2 cups heavy cream (diet tomorrow, live today)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated (not that sawdust in a can, please)
1/4 cup white wine (optional, but it’s also an excuse to open wine, so…)
1 tablespoon jerk seasoning (adjust to taste)
1/2 teaspoon paprika (smoked if you have it)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (trust me on this one)
Red pepper flakes to taste (I usually do 1/2 teaspoon)
Salt and black pepper to taste
Juice of half a lime (the secret ingredient!)

Quick Homemade Jerk Seasoning (if you’re feeling fancy):

1 tablespoon each: brown sugar, dried thyme, ground allspice
1 teaspoon each: salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper (more if you’re brave)
1/2 teaspoon each: cinnamon, nutmeg, crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves Mix it all together and store extra in an airtight container. Makes amazing popcorn seasoning too!