Rasta Pasta with Shrimp
If you haven’t heard of Rasta Pasta, it’s a delightful combination of Italian and Jamaican cuisines – penne pasta in a cream sauce paired with colorful bell peppers, marinated shrimp and Caribbean seasonings.
Ingredients
- 1-pound penne pasta, reserve 1 cup pasta water
- 2-pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 5 tbsp. jerk seasoning, divided
- Cayenne pepper, optional
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 4 tbsp. avocado oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
Instructions
To prepare the pasta and reserve pasta water:
- Once the pasta is cooked, remove from heat and drain, reserving one cup of the pasta water; set aside.
To prepare the shrimp:
- Place 2-pounds of large raw shrimp, which have been peeled and deveined, into a large bowl.
- Add the shrimp and cook for a few minutes or until the shrimp are pink and opaque.
- Remove the shrimp from the skillet and transfer to a bowl.
To prepare the garlic and peppers:
- In the same skillet, add 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 thinly sliced red bell pepper and 1 thinly sliced orange bell pepper.
- Stir the sliced bell peppers and garlic, over medium-high heat, for about 3 to 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
To prepare the sauce:
- Add 1 cup reserved pasta water and 2 cups of heavy cream.
- Allow the cream come to a simmer.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese.
- Stir in 2 tablespoons of jerk seasoning.
To assemble and serve:
- Add the cooked penne pasta and cooked shrimp.
- Stir to combine; garnish with freshly chopped green onions and serve.