Creamy penne Rasta Pasta is the perfect dinner solution for when you are short on time. A combination of flavors from the jerk seasoning, Caribbean green seasoning (also known as épis or sofrito), along with creamy dairy or coconut milk make this the perfect no-fuss comfort food.
Key Ingredients
Jerk Seasoning:
Jerk seasoning is an important ingredient in this recipe. Without the Jerk seasoning, it is no longer Rasta Pasta! Jerk is a combination of aromatic spices, primarily allspice, scotch bonnet, cloves, etc. For this recipe I used pre-made jerk seasoning which can be found at your local grocery store.
Green Seasoning:
Similarly, green seasoning is a staple in Caribbean cuisine. It is an herb and garlic mixture with recipes that vary across islands. Most recipes contain parsley, thyme, green bell peppers, and scallions. Green seasoning is also known as Épis in Haiti and Sofrito in some of the Spanish speaking islands. Check out my green seasoning recipe to make it from scratch! You can also buy the bottle version, which I’ve tried, but I still recommend the fresh . It makes a big difference!
Making The Cream Sauce.
In this recipe, I used heavy cream and a combination of parmesan and mozzarella cheese. If you would like to cut down on some of the dairy, feel free to either replace the heavy cream with coconut milk or use half heavy cream and half coconut milk.
The mozzarella is great because it has a mild flavor, but helps with that amazing cheese pull that we love from our creamy dishes.
Final Touches
Toss the pasta into your cream sauce, then add salt to taste. I wait until the end to add in the salt because the butter and parmesan cheese are already salty. Waiting until the end allows you to better control the salt content of the dish.
Creamy Penne Rasta Pasta
This creamy penne rasta pasta is the perfect combination of cheeses and West Indian spices. If you enjoy Caribbean fusion food, you’ll love this jerk spiced pasta!
- Prep Time: 0 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 - 25 minutes
- Total Time: 15 - 25 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Caribbean
Ingredients
- 1 lb penne pasta
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 orange bell pepper, sliced
- 2–3 spring onions, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, diced
- 2 tbsp green seasoning
- 2–3 tbsp jerk seasoning (marinade)
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 1/2 – 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- salt (to taste)
Instructions
- Boil 1 lb of penne pasta in salted water until “al dente.” This should take between 10 and 12 minutes, but please refer to the box for exact timing.
- While the penne boils, prepare the ingredients for the sauce. Start by slicing the bell peppers, chopping the green onion, and dicing the garlic.
- Add a tablespoon of butter to a large pan on medium-low heat. Use a pan that will be big enough to handle tossing the pasta and cheese sauce together at the end.
- Then, add in the bell peppers, green onions, and garlic. Saute until softened and the garlic becomes fragrant.
- Add in all seasonings EXCEPT for the salt. Toss in the green seasoning, jerk, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper.
- Turn the heat down to the lowest setting and pour in the heavy cream and coconut milk. Then add in parmesan and mozzarella. Stir until melted.
- If your cheese sauce is slightly too thick, use chicken or vegetable stock to loosen it up.
- Strain your pasta then add the penne to the cheese sauce. Toss with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula.
- Taste it! Then add salt to your liking.
Notes
Additions
You can also add protein by including some jerk chicken or shrimp on top. I’ve also made this with oxtail on top. Your choice!
Keywords: Rasta pasta, jamaican rasta pasta, jerk pasta, jerk penne, creamy pasta recipe, easy pasta recipe, caribbean food, west indian food, 15 minute dinner, easy dinner
This recipe came out great really nice flavor❤️❤️
★★★★★
sucks.
★
This is a fantastic, flavorful recipe.
★★★★★
Please leave epis out this. Teachin folks recipes of people they don’t even respect or origin of it. Please and thank you.
The owner of the blog can do as she pleases. I’ve never seen someone gatekeep epis in my life. That’s new.