Name: Jamaican Rasta Pasta
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Jamaican
Ingredients: 2 chicken breasts; 1 tbsp of jerk seasoning; 1 medium onion; 1 garlic clove; 1/2 red bell pepper; 1/2 green bell pepper; 1/2 yellow bell pepper; 1 tsp of Worcester sauce; 1 tsp of thyme; 1/4 cup of Philadelphia; 2 tbsp of parmesan; 1/3 lbs of pasta; Basil

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This Jamaican Rasta Pasta recipe makes the perfect weeknight meal. This pasty is a creamy and spicy mixture of pasta, red, yellow and green peppers, Jerk style chicken, cream cheese and herbs. Try our Cajun chicken and shrimp pasta next!

Table of Contents

What’s Rasta Pasta?

Rasta Pasta was created by International Chef Lorraine Washington in Jamaica in 1986 (more on that below). She served this pasta dish to a group of Jamaican construction workers who claimed the pasta should be called Rasta Pasta because of the red, yellow and green peppers and the fact that her dish, made with tagliatelle, looked like Rastafarian dreadlocks. She kept making the dish and the name stuck.

Rasta Pasta is a creamy pasta dish made with the pasta of your choice (we used fusilli for our recipe), cooked red, yellow and green peppers, Jerk seasoning, chicken, Worcester sauce, onion, garlic, thyme, parmesan and cream cheese.

Rasta Pasta Ingredients

2 chicken breasts
1 tbsp of jerk seasoning
1 medium onion
1 garlic clove
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 yellow bell pepper
1 tsp of Worcester sauce
1 tsp of thyme
1/4 cup of Philadelphia
2 tbsp of parmesan
1/3 lbs of pasta
Basil

How to make Jamaican Rasta Pasta, step by step

This Jamaican pasta dish couldn’t be easier. It will take you just under an hour to make the best pasta of your life!

Step 1 – Cut the chicken breasts into 4 pieces each (8 pieces total).
Step 2 – Mix with jerk seasoning and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Step 3 – Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan on medium heat.
Step 4 – Add the chicken and cook for 4 minutes each side.
Step 5 – Remove from the pan.
Step 6 – Add a tablespoon of olive oil and cook the onion with a pinch of salt for 4 minutes.
Step 7 – Add the garlic and cook for a minute. Reduce the heat.
Step 8 – Add the bell peppers and cook for 10 minutes.
Step 9 – Add the Worcester sauce and the thyme and cook for 2 minutes.
Step 10 – Mix the cream cheese and parmesan in a bowl.
Step 11 – Meanwhile, cook the pasta.
Step 12 – Mix a ladle of pasta water into the cream cheese and parmesan and mix.
Step 13 – Put the chicken in the pan. Turn heat to high heat.
Step 14 – Pour the cream cheese mixture and the pasta into the frying pan and cook for a minute.
Step 15 – Top with basil and serve.

Wondering how to make Rasta Pasta with shrimp?

Some people like to add shrimp to the recipe, to make Shrimp Rasta Pasta, or even to swap out the chicken for shrimp. The recipe is really tasty this way too!

Make this Jamaican Rasta Pasta your own

Make Rasta Pasta with shrimp by swapping out the chicken for shrimp or simply add shrimp to the recipe.

Where did Rasta Pasta Come From?

Where did Rasta Pasta originate? Is Rasta Pasta Jamaican? you may wonder. Yes! It was invented by International Chef Lorraine Washington in 1986 in Jamaica.

Is Rasta Pasta spicy?

The jerk seasoning adds a spicy quality to the recipe, although it is not hot spicy.

More Pasta Recipes on AHK