This dish was first created in Negril, Jamaica in 1985 by Chef Lorraine Washington in her Paradise Yard restaurant kitchen. Chef Lorraine recalls making fettuccine for a crew of construction workers and topping it with red sauce and then a bit of ackee, Jamaica’s national fruit. The red, green, and yellow colors hinted at Rasta colors which prompted one of the carpenters to call it a “Rasta pasta!”
Over time, she adapted the dish, incorporating ingredients like jerk seasoning, bell peppers, chicken or seafood, and cream sauces, and it eventually became what it is today and gained international recognition.
Ingredients
For the Chicken
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound chicken breast cut into bite-sized pierces
2 tablespoons Jamaican jerk seasonings
1 teaspoon paprika
salt and black pepper to taste
For the Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
1 small onion chopped
1 green bell pepper sliced
1 red bell pepper sliced
1 orange bell pepper sliced
1-2 Scotch bonnet peppers chopped
3 cloves garlic chopped
2 tablespoons Jamaican jerk seasoning
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup of grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 box fettuccine (penne is also a popular option)
Instructions
Start with the chicken by heating the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
Season the chopped chicken with Jamaican jerk seasonings, paprika, and salt and pepper.
Add the chicken and cook 6-7 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Next heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pan and add the onion and peppers. Cook them down about 5 minutes to soften.
Add the garlic and Jamaican jerk seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 1 minute, stirring.
Add the chicken stock, coconut milk, and reserved chicken. Simmer for 5 minutes to thicken up.
If it get too thick, swirl in a few tablespoons of water or chicken stock.
Stir in the Parmesan cheese and remove from heat.
While the sauce is simmering, cook the noodles according to the package directions. Drain and toss with the pasta sauce.
