Jerk Shrimp Rasta Pasta is my favorite meal to make when I want to spice up my week nights! This Caribbean style pasta was first born out of a restaurant in Jamaica in 1985. The dish quickly grew popular among the patrons and today you can find rasta pasta in most Jamaican restaurants! Jerk seasoning packs so much flavor and is a staple in Jamaican cuisine, so it only makes sense to spice up your pasta dish with it! The first time I fell in love with Jamaican food was when I tried these Jamaican Banana Fritters that are made from ripe bananas, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg!
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What Is Jerk Seasoning?
Jerk seasoning is widely used in various dishes in the Jamaican culture. It’s made from a blend of spices, such as hot peppers, scallions, black pepper, onion, salt, all spice, nutmeg, cane sugar and thyme. I’ve found this to be the most common blend, although sometimes it does include parsley and garlic powder. Jerk seasoning packs a spicy kick but also has a light sweetness to it.
Ingredients
- Shrimp (Peeled and Deveined)
- Penne Pasta
- Olive Oil
- Jerk Seasoning
- Lime Juice
- Salt
- Ground Black Pepper
- Granulated Garlic
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- Garlic Cloves
- Onion
- Red Bell Pepper
- Orange Bell Pepper
- Yellow Bell Pepper
- Dry White Wine
- Coconut Milk
- Heavy Cream
- Parmesan Cheese
- Scallions
How to Make Jerk Shrimp Rasta Pasta
- First, start by seasoning the shrimp with lime juice, jerk seasoning, salt, black pepper, granulated garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Set aside for now.
- Boil salted water for the pasta. Add the pasta to the water once it begins boiling and cook 1 minute shy of the package instructions. Drain the pasta and set it aside.
- Next, chop the bell peppers and dice the onion. Chop and mince the garlic cloves.
- Add olive oil to a pan over medium high heat. Add the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until completely cooked through. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside for now.
- In the same pan you cooked the shrimp in, add the dry white wine and simmer for about 2-3 minutes to reduce. Add the bell peppers and chopped onion. Saute for about 5 minutes or until the bell peppers are soft and the onions are translucent in color. Add in the minced garlic and saute for 30 seconds.
- Next, add jerk seasoning, coconut milk and heavy cream. Stir well to combine and cook for about 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
- Add the parmesan cheese, pasta and cooked shrimp to the sauce and stir to coat the pasta and shrimp completely in the sauce.
- Finally, garnish the jerk shrimp pasta with scallions and more parmesan cheese if desired and enjoy!
Why You Should Make Rasta Pasta
- Ready in under 30 minutes
- Substitute shrimp for chicken
- Substitute penne pasta for whatever pasta you have on hand
- It’s a great dish to spice up your week night dinner plans
Speaking of dishes that can put a kick in your week night meals, this Spicy Chicken Chipotle Pasta is another great alternative for when you’re just in the mood for something different! And if you really want to end the day on a great note, a slice of this No Bake Peach Mango Pie is sure to do the trick!
Tips & Variations
- Not everyone will have dry white wine on hand and that’s totally fine! Substitute the wine for either chicken broth or reserve pasta water and use that in place of the wine.
- If you decide to swap out the jerk shrimp for jerk chicken, simply make sure you cook the chicken all the way through. I recommend cutting the chicken into cubes first then following all the same instructions from the recipe. Chicken takes much longer than shrimp to cook. The best way to know whether the chicken is done is by using a kitchen thermometer to measure the internal temperature of the chicken. It should read 165 degrees F when it is ready.
- I recommend preparing all of your ingredients in advance. This recipe can move quickly so you want to make sure you’re prepared!
Jerk Shrimp Rasta Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 lb penne pasta
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp jerk seasoning 1 tbsp for the shrimp and 1 tbsp for the cream sauce
- 2 tbsp lime juice 1 whole lime
- 1 tbsp salt divided between pasta water and shrimp
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tsp granulated garlic
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 4 garlic cloves chopped and minced
- 1/2 medium onion chopped and diced
- 3 bell peppers red, yellow and orange chopped
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- chopped scallions for garnishing
Instructions
- First, start by seasoning the shrimp with lime juice, jerk seasoning, salt, black pepper, granulated garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Set aside for now.
- Boil salted water for the pasta. Add the pasta to the water once it begins boiling and cook 1 minute shy of the package instructions. Drain the pasta and set it aside.
- Next, chop the bell peppers and dice the onion. Chop and mince the garlic cloves.
- Add olive oil to a pan over medium high heat. Add the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until completely cooked through. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside for now.
- In the same pan you cooked the shrimp in, add the dry white wine and simmer for about 2-3 minutes to reduce. Add the bell peppers and chopped onion. Saute for about 5 minutes or until the bell peppers are soft and the onions are translucent in color. Add in the minced garlic and saute for 30 seconds.
- Next, add jerk seasoning, coconut milk and heavy cream. Stir well to combine and cook for about 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
- Add the parmesan cheese, pasta and cooked shrimp to the sauce and stir to coat the pasta and shrimp completely in the sauce.
- Finally, garnish the jerk shrimp pasta with scallions and more parmesan cheese if desired and enjoy!