Jerk Shrimp Pasta is a simple Rasta Pasta recipe made with a fusion of Caribbean spices and a touch of Italian flavors. Shrimp marinated in Jamaican jerk seasoning is seared to perfection along with rigatoni tossed in a cheesy and creamy Jerk sauce.
This Jamaican Rasta Pasta is a dish huge on flavor and something unique just like Jerk Chicken Dum Biryani. We decided to prepare this shrimp rasta pasta recipe without coconut milk or any additional ingredients to keep it quick and simple just like our other pasta recipes: Chorizo Carbonara, Mushroom Pappardelle, Miso Mushroom Pasta.
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Jerk Shrimp Rasta pasta - Jamaican style
Jamaican food screams color, flavor and spice. It all begins with a good blend of Jamaican Jerk seasoning. Although there are different variations of Jerk seasoning, we stuck with a combination of dry and wet seasoning for the rasta pasta sauce.
The dry jerk spice contains a blend of powdered spice mix including allspice, thyme, cayenne pepper and other spices. On the other hand, the wet seasoning includes soy sauce, scotch bonnet peppers, scallions and various other spices.
A perfect combination of Jerk seasoning along with colorful bell peppers, cheese, heavy cream and pasta bring together this hearty one pot pasta meal. The tender and juicy jerk shrimp is simply the cherry on top.
What is Rasta Pasta?
Rasta Pasta is an Italian-inspired pasta dish with Jamaican and Rastafarian flavors. Typically made with a creamy pasta sauce infused with coconut milk, Jamaican Jerk seasoning, and the Rasta colors (Red, Yellow and Green).
The dish remains somewhat elusive but has grown in popularity over time, embracing the cultural diversity of both traditions. You should take a look into the Story of Rasta Pasta for more information about this.
Ingredients
- Shrimp: choose a medium to big size shrimp for a juicy flavor as the smaller ones tend to overcook.
- Rigatoni: common choice would be penne but Rigatoni holds up more sauce.
- Bell Peppers: red and green work just fine. Throw in some yellow if you’d like to bring out that Rastafarian flair.
- Garlic: compliments other flavors in the jerk seasoning. Also, pasta is not pasta without garlic.
- Jamaican jerk seasoning: you can either prepare your own or use store-bought like this Hot & Spicy Jerk Seasoning.
- Jerk seasoning spice: use any store-bought spice mix like this spice mix.
- Heavy cream: compliments the cheese and adds a rich creamy texture to the pasta.
- Cheese: choose any available cheese you like as the flavor of spices will over power any expensive cheese. I went with tex-mex cheese as it was lying in my refrigerator.
- Parsley: it's optional but adds a beautiful garnish to the final dish.
- Olive oil: use it to fry the shrimp and sauté the bell peppers.
- Salt to taste: add salt accordingly as the jerk seasoning may have salt too.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make rasta pasta with shrimp?
We begin by marinating the cleaned and deveined shrimp with salt and Jerk seasoning. Mix well and set the Jerk Shrimp marinade aside for 15 minutes.
Heat olive oil in a heavy bottom pan and fry the Jerk shrimps for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until tender and cooked through. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.
In the same pan, heat olive oil and sauté the sliced red and green bell peppers along with minced garlic and dry jerk seasoning. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.
Now pour in the heavy cream and wet Jamaican jerk seasoning. Mix well and allow the mixture to simmer for 4 to 5 minutes.
As the mixture is simmering, cook the rigatoni pasta until Al dente in a pot of salted boiling water. Save ½ cup pasta water for later.
We now add the cooked pasta to the pan along with shredded cheese. Combine the pasta and cheesy sauce, and add in the pasta water if the mixture is too thick.
Add in half of the cooked Jerk shrimp and give it a quick mix before plating.
Our Jerk Shrimp Rasta Pasta is ready. Serve the pasta immediately with the remaining Jerk shrimp and garnish with freshly chopped parsley.
Substitutions
You can replace some of the ingredients in the recipe to suit what you have at home.
- Bell peppers: any available bell peppers
- Rigatoni: you choice of pasta
- Garlic: garlic powder
- Heavy cream: half-and-half cream, coconut milk
- Cheese: any white cheese or Italian cheeses
- Parsley: cilantro
Tips
- Allow time for marination: Marinating the shrimp with the Jerk seasoning for at least 15 minutes will allow the flavors to infuse into the shrimp.
- Sear the shrimp: Sear the shrimp in a hot skillet or pan to form a flavorful crust while keeping the inside juicy and tender. Avoid overcooking as it can turn rubbery in texture.
- Adjust spice level: Read the ingredients for store-bought Jerk seasoning as it can be quite spicy. You can also choose a milk jerk seasoning for less heat.
FAQs
Penne is the most popular and common choice for rasta pasta. Similarly, any tubular shaped pasta with ridges like Rigatoni holds the sauce well as compared to other types. You can also choose fettuccine or spaghetti for a different texture.
While shrimp and pasta is best served fresh, you can marinate the shrimp and prepare the veggies ahead of time. Cook the pasta and shrimp before serving to maintain freshness.
Yes, you can substitute heavy cream for coconut milk, shrimp for tofu and opt for a vegan cheese. You can also make a vegetarian version by adding mushrooms, or other meat based substitutes.
Related Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Fusion Recipes
Try out some of our specialty recipes:
- Jerk Chicken Quesadilla
- Sumac Fries
- Crispy Brussels Sprouts Recipe (Indian style)
- Easy Crab Rangoon Egg Rolls
Recipe
Jerk Shrimp Pasta
Ingredients
For Jerk Shrimp
- 10 oz Shrimps, peeled and deveined
- 2 tablespoon Jamaican jerk seasoning
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt to taste
For Rasta Pasta
- 10 oz Rigatoni pasta
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Jamaican jerk seasoning
- 1 tablespoon dry jerk seasoning spice
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup pasta water
- 1 cup cheese, shredded
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt to taste
- Fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine jerk seasoning along with shrimp and add salt to taste. Set the marination aside for 15 minutes.
- Add olive oil in a pan on medium heat and fry the shrimps for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, sauté sliced red and green bell peppers for a minute in olive oil. Add minced garlic, dry jerk seasoning and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Pour in the heavy cream and wet Jamaican jerk seasoning, and allow the mixture to simmer for 5 minutes. As the mixture is simmering, cook the pasta as per package instructions in a pot of salted boiling water. Save ½ cup pasta water.
- Add the cooked pasta to the pan, shredded cheese and combine the sauce and pasta. Add in pasta water if the mixture is too thick.
- Add in half of the cooked jerk shrimp and mix. Serve the Jerk shrimp pasta immediately with the remaining Jerk shrimp and garnish with chopped fresh parsley.
Sara
This was delicious!! Perfect for our spice level and quick to prepare.