Rasta Pasta Recipe
This creamy Rasta Pasta is a Jamaican-inspired dinner made with sautéed bell peppers and penne tossed in a cheesy sauce with just the right amount of heat. You can make the sauce with heavy coconut cream or heavy cream, so every bite is rich and flavorful. I love this for an easy weeknight dinner because it’s ready in less than 30 minutes.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 lb box of penne pasta
- Salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tbsp butter
- ½ small yellow onion
- 8 garlic cloves minced
- 2 scallion stalks chopped
- ½ green bell pepper sliced
- ½ red bell pepper sliced
- ½ yellow bell pepper sliced
- Leaves of 4 thyme sprigs
- 4 tbsp parsley chopped (divided)
- 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1 tsp adobo seasoning
- 1 tbsp jerk marinade
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream or heavy coconut cream
- 1/2 cup parmesan shredded or grated
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Liberally salt the water, then add the penne pasta and boil according to package instructions until al dente. (The pasta will get more tender once it cooks a bit more in the sauce.) Reserve one cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta.
- In a skillet heated over medium heat, add the olive oil and butter. Stir until the butter melts. Then, add the onion and garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds.
- Once the garlic and onion become aromatic, add the bell peppers, scallion, thyme, and half of the parsley. Season with Old Bay, adobo, and jerk marinade, then stir.
- Stir in the heavy cream, and bring it to a rolling simmer over medium heat for about five minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Once the cream starts to reduce, turn off the heat. Stir in the parmesan cheese.
- Once the cheese melts and is fully incorporated into the sauce. Taste the sauce and adjust seasonings according to taste, if needed.
- Add the pasta to the sauce, and combine everything well. Turn off the heat, and allow the pasta to rest and absorb the sauce for five minutes before serving.
Notes
Serve with jerk chicken, oxtail, shrimp or protein of your choice. Enjoy!
