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    Home » Recipe Index » 30 Minute Meals

    Jerk Shrimp Pasta

    October 3, 2021 By Rebecca 30 Minute Meals, Easy Recipes, Entrees, Pasta Dishes, Seafood Dishes

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
    close up of jerk shrimp pasta in a bowl

    Make this jerk shrimp pasta if you're in the mood for a 20 minute dinner that's spicy, blanketed in a creamy sauce, and bursting with flavor! It's similar to Jamaican Italian fusion Rasta Pasta, but can be adapted with pantry foods!

    penne pasta with red bell peppers in a white bowl, with ingredients around it

    Looking for more easy pasta recipes like this jerk shrimp pasta- Lemony Carbonara, Pantry Black Bean Pasta, 15 Minute Pantry Tomato Sauce with Pasta & Sausage, Pistachio Pesto Pasta, and One Pot Chicken Bacon Mushroom Pasta.

    Table of contents

    • Rasta Pasta History
    • How will this pasta make your life easier?
    • What makes this dish so good?
    • How do I make it?
    • Substitutions
    • Expert Tips
    • FAQ
    • What can I make with leftover ingredients?

    Rasta Pasta History

    This jerk shrimp recipe is somewhat based off of rasta pasta, here's a brief history and resources for you about it:

    I found a couple food blogs that had super helpful info to learn about the history of rasta pasta and start developing this recipe. One is My Forking Life, and the other is The Dinner Bite.

    Essentially the original rasta pasta recipe, the pasta I'm basing my jerk shrimp pasta on was developed by chef Lorraine Washington in 1985 at the Paradise Yard Restaurant in Negril, Jamaica.

    She recounted placing some ackee & tomato sauce on fettuccini for a group of construction workers. One of them coined the term rasta pasta because of the colors in the dish and the fettuccini that looked like dreadlocks.

    You can learn more about that story in this article.

    How will this pasta make your life easier?

    I decided to use pantry/kitchen ingredients to make this jerk shrimp pasta like frozen shrimp, fettuccini pasta, bell peppers, milk/cream, and green onions because a recipe never calls for the whole bunch.

    Shrimp cooks up quickly- you can also pull it out of the fridge, thaw it in some water, and then toss them into the pan to make a quick dinner like jerk shrimp pasta, or Cajun Shrimp Tin Foil Packet or Steak and Shrimp Fajitas.

    What makes this dish so good?

    cutting board with bowls of ingredients for jerk shrimp pasta

    How do I make it?

    *If you are making homemade Jamaican jerk seasoning, and or defrosting shrimp, start first, see expert tips for instructions.*

    holding a measuring spoon over pot of pasta

    The first step in this jerk shrimp pasta recipe is to cook your pasta. Cook it according to the package directions, until just al dente. Save 1 tablespoon of pasta water and drain the rest.

    bowl of shrimp coated in jerk seasoning

    Heat a sautee pan over medium-high heat, while it's heating, toss 4 oz shrimp with ½ teaspoon jerk seasoning in a small mixing bowl.

    4 shrimp on a skillet

    Once pan is hot, add 1 teaspoon olive oil and seasoned shrimp to pan. Cook 1-3 minutes on each side, until just pink. Remove and set aside.

    sliced red bell peppers in a sautee pan

    While shrimp is cooking, slice ½ bell pepper into thin slices. Once shrimp is cooked and removed, add pepper to hot pan with ½ teaspoon jerk seasoning. Cook until pepper is softened, stirring occasionally. This should take 3-5 minutes.

    spinach, pasta, shrimp, and bell peppers in a skillet

    Once pepper is softened, reduce heat to low, add in pasta, shrimp, and 1 tablespoon pasta water, 1-2 tablespoon heavy cream, 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese, a large handful of spinach, and a pinch of salt. Cook until sauce thickens and spinach wilts.

    Serve your jerk shrimp pasta immediately.

    Substitutions

    • Make your own jerk seasoning for this jerk shrimp pasta, you may already have all the ingredients on hand (garlic powder, brown sugar, salt, onion powder, cayenne powder, thyme, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, black pepper, and sweet paprika. I didn't have allspice but substituted it with ½ the amount of ground cloves and ½ cinnamon. Google spice substitutions if you don't have one.
    • Use your favorite pasta shape for this recipe.
    • This pasta dish isn't very saucey, if you'd like more of a sauce, double or triple the pasta water + cream.
    • This jerk shrimp pasta recipe was slightly spicy for me, adjust the jerk seasoning to make it as spicy as you'd like.
    • Add whatever vegetables to this jerk shrimp pasta that you have in your fridge. It'd be great with mushrooms, zucchini, fresh tomatoes, or cauliflower.

    Expert Tips

    • If you're making your own Jamaican jerk seasoning, definitely use scotch bonnet peppers in it if you can find them/like it hot!
    • Using frozen shrimp? It defrosts really quickly when you place your frozen shrimp in a small bowl and cover them with warm water. You can replace the water if needed. It usually takes just 5 minutes for a small amount of shrimp. Make sure to pat it dry before mixing with seasonings.
    • I recommend using a red, yellow, or orange bell pepper instead of a green one. These colorful peppers are sweeter than green peppers and you'll definitely want the extra sweetness in this recipe.

    FAQ

    How to make jerk shrimp rasta pasta?

    This jerk shrimp pasta recipe is very similar to rasta pasta recipes. Lots of modern rasta pasta recipes use penne pasta, fresh shrimp, jerk seasoning, heavy cream, spinach, garlic, and parmesan cheese. But the original rasta pasta was made with ackee and fettuccini.

    Is jerk seasoning spicy?

    Yes! You can learn more about the history of Jamaican jerk seasoning as well as what it's traditionally made with.

    close up of jerk shrimp pasta in a bowl

    What can I make with leftover ingredients?

    • Shrimp: Cajun Shrimp Tin Foil Packet, Steak and Shrimp Fajitas, or Sheet Pan Shrimp Dinner.
    • Bell Pepper: Steak and Shrimp Fajitas, Small Batch No-Mayo Potato Salad, or Vegetarian Hash.
    • Pasta Recipes

    Did you make this jerk shrimp pasta? Leave me a comment & rating to share how it turned out!

    close up of jerk shrimp pasta in a bowl
    Print Pin

    Jerk Shrimp Pasta

    Make this jerk shrimp pasta if you're in the mood for a 20 minute dinner that's spicy, creamy, and bursting with flavor! It's similar to the Jamaican Italian fusion Rasta Pasta, but can be adapted to use up ingredients you already have in your kitchen!
    Course dinner, Main Course
    Cuisine American, Caribbean, Jamaican
    Prep Time 2 minutes
    Cook Time 10 minutes
    Total Time 12 minutes
    Servings 1 person
    Author Rebecca

    Equipment

    • cutting board
    • knife
    • Small Pot with Lid
    • Sautee pan
    • rubber spatula
    • Measuring cups, spoons
    • Grater
    • Small bowl

    Ingredients

    • 2-3 oz Penne Pasta or other pasta
    • 2 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil divided
    • 4 oz Large Shrimp raw or frozen
    • 1 teaspoon Jerk Seasoning divided
    • ½ whole Bell Pepper Red, Yellow, or Orange preferably
    • (1 tablespoon pasta water)
    • 1-2 Tablespoon Heavy Cream
    • 1 Tablespoon Grated Parmesan cheese
    • handful Baby Spinach Leaves
    • pinch Kosher Salt

    Instructions

    • Cook 2-3 oz pasta according to package directions. Once pasta is al dente, reserve 1 tablespoon pasta water, and drain remaining water.
    • In a small bowl, toss 4 oz shrimp in ½ teaspoon Jerk seasoning, set aside. On a cutting board, slice ½ bell pepper into about ¼ in strips, set aside.
    • Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, once hot, add seasoned shrimp. Cook 1-3 minutes on each side, until each side just becomes pink. Remove and set aside.
    • Return skillet to burner and add remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil, remaining ½ teaspoon Jerk seasoning, and sliced bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until pepper is softened.
    • Once pepper is softened, turn down heat to low. Add cooked pasta and shrimp, 1 T pasta water, 1-2 T hevy cream, 1 T grated parmesan cheese, a large handful of spinach, and a pinch of salt. Stir and cook until sauce thickens and spinach wilts. Remove and serve immediately.

    Video

    Jerk Shrimp Pasta

    Notes

    • Buy Jerk seasoning or make your own, here's a link to the recipe I used.
    • Use your favorite type of pasta in this dish.
    • This pasta would be great with fresh tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, and lots of other vegetables. Clean out your fridge to make it. 
    • You can use milk, but it won't be as creamy. If using milk, I recommend adding some butter with it.

    Want to get more single serving recipes like this jerk shrimp pasta delivered to your inbox? Click here to download my Single Serving Cookbook.

    Recipes are great, but you’ll need a simple 3 step process to create a meal plan that make cooking easy & helps you stop wasting food. Check out this expertly developed meal planning guide to get started. 

    More 30 Minute Meals

    • Chicken Soup for One
    • Chicken Bacon Ranch Flatbread
    • Easy Pasta Recipes for One
    • Single Serving Mac and Cheese

    About Rebecca

    Welcome! I’m Rebecca, a food loving dietitian. On Nourish Nutrition, you’ll find real, quick, and nourishing recipes for one that'll get you to want to cook for yourself, because you deserve it.

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    At Nourish Nutrition, you'll find bold, flavorful recipes for one. Most are single serving, and all have suggestions to use up the leftover ingredients so you can stop throwing away unused ingredients & leftovers!

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