Take a trip to the islands with this colorful and easy RASTA PASTA recipe for two! It’s FLAVORFUL, delicious, and perfectly sized for a meal for two. It’s easy to make this recipe from scratch, including the famous jerk seasoning!
What is Rasta Pasta?
Rasta Pasta is a Jamaican dish and is a mix of Italian and Caribbean cuisine. In fact, the name Rasta Pasta is inspired by the colors of the dish: green, red, and yellow, which are the colors of Rastafari culture.
Rasta Pasta has become quite popular in restaurants around the world, and, as a result, has many different variations!
What goes in Rasta Pasta?
Rasta Pasta is a unique dish, and a lot of varieties of it exist around the world.
To make a true Rasta Pasta, here are the core ingredients you’ll want to include:
- Bell peppers: Red, green, and yellow bell peppers are perfect for Rasta Pasta. The peppers are very important, as they give the dish its color!
- Jerk seasoning: This Jamaican seasoning gives Rasta Pasta its unique flavor, especially when paired with chicken.
- Pasta: Fusilli, penne, or fettuccine are classic choices of pasta for Rasta Pasta, but you can use whatever pasta you like most.
- A protein: Chicken or shrimp add tons of flavor to any Rasta Pasta recipe. We used chicken in this Rasta Pasta recipe for two!
- Coconut milk: Coconut milk adds so much flavor and smoothness to Rasta Pasta.
What is jerk seasoning?
Jerk seasoning is a Jamaican blend of dry spices, normally used with chicken or shrimp, but also with vegetables. It is mildly spicy, slightly sweet, and packed with flavor!
For this Rasta Pasta recipe for two, you can use store-bought jerk seasoning, or easily make your own at home! Homemade jerk seasoning is easy to make with spices you may already have in your pantry.
How to make Rasta Pasta
Rasta Pasta is not only incredibly delicious but also very easy to make!
You just need to follow few simple cooking steps to make a Rasta Pasta recipe for two:
- Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Season it with jerk seasoning, and set aside for few minutes.
- In a large pot, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain it, then return it to the pot.
- Heat 2 Tbsps. olive oil in a skillet. Cook chicken pieces in it, on both sides, until golden brown. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Add 1 Tbsp. olive oil to the same skillet you used to cook the chicken. Sauté 1 finely chopped small onion, 1 finely chopped garlic clove, 1/2 sliced red bell pepper, and 1/2 sliced green bell pepper for 2-3 minutes. Add salt to taste and 3/4 cup coconut milk, and lower the heat. Let simmer for 5-6 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft and the sauce is creamy.
- Add the cooked vegetables and chicken to the pasta. Stir well and distribute onto 2 plates. Sprinkle with some green onions (fresh or dry).
Can this recipe be doubled?
Our Rasta Pasta recipe for two is portioned just for two, but can easily be doubled or even tripled according to your needs.
It is easy to increase the ingredients and cook the recipe for more people. To double this Rasta Pasta recipe to four servings, simply double the ingredients used!
You may want to use a larger skillet to cook your chicken so you don’t overcrowd the pan.
What to serve with Rasta Pasta
Rasta Pasta is a delicious dish to enjoy on its own, but if you’re planning to serve your Rasta Pasta recipe with a side dish, we recommend keeping it light and fresh. Serve Rasta Pasta with a fresh vegetable salad, switching up the ingredients to match the Caribbean flavors.
A glass of white wine would pair well with Rasta Pasta for a dinner for two!
Craving more pasta recipes? Check out our selection below:
- Chicken Glorioso Pasta Bake
- Homemade Bolognese Sauce with Pappardelle Pasta
- Mushroom Spinach Pasta
- Creamy Mushroom Pasta
- One Pot Chicken Orzo Pasta
For more recipes for two, try these deliciously easy dinner ideas:
- Sausage and Kale Pasta Dinner for Two
- Simple Dinner Ideas for Two
- Lasagna for Two
- Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe for Two
- Vegetarian Taco Recipe for Two
If you liked this recipe, don’t hesitate to leave a comment! We would love to hear your feedback.
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Rasta Pasta Recipe for Two
Ingredients
For Rasta Pasta:
- 1 Tbsp. jerk seasoning (homemade recipe below)
- 3 Tbsps. olive oil
- 1 1/2 chicken breasts (about half pound or 240 g)
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove finely chopped
- 1/2 green bell pepper sliced
- 1/2 red bell pepper sliced
- 5.6 oz. fusilli pasta (160 g)
- 3/4 cup coconut milk (half can or 200 ml)
- salt to taste
Homemade Jerk Seasoning:
- 1.5 tsps. garlic powder
- 1.5 tsps. dried green onions or onion powder
- 1.5 tsps. ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne powder
- 1 tsp. brown sugar
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. ground black pepper
Instructions
For the Rasta Pasta:
- Cut the chicken into bite size pieces. Season it with the jerk seasoning and set aside for few minutes.
- In a large pot, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain it, then return it to the pot.
- Heat 2 Tbsps. olive oil in a skillet. Cook chicken pieces in it, on both sides, until golden brown and fully cooked. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Add the rest of the olive oil to the same skillet where the chicken was cooked. Sauté onions, garlic and peppers for 2-3 minutes. Add salt, coconut milk and lower the heat. Let simmer for 5-6 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft and the sauce is creamy.
- Add the cooked vegetables and the chicken to the pasta. Stir well and distribute onto 2 plates. Sprinkle with some green onions (fresh or dry).
For the Jerk Seasoning:
- Mix all ingredients together. Store them in a small jar.
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