Jamaican jerk salmon tops a delectably creamy and cheesy pasta. Customize your heat on the fish and cool it off with the cream sauce. You won’t be disappointed!
I was originally going to put this recipe in my seafood eBook, but I decided that the Glam Kitchen Gang needed a new, lit pasta dish.
Of course “rasta” is from Jamaica, and I wanted to pull all those Jamaican flavors into this dish. Coconut milk and jerk seasoning coat fresh veggies and pasta, plus thyme and paprika add the finishing touch. These all infuse a ton of flavor into a colorful dish.
I’ve seen this dish on so many restaurant and chef Instagram pages and I decided to take a stab at it.
Glam Kitchen Ingredient Tips
- I use skinless salmon filets as I just prefer that on my dish. Because we are layering it over a creamy pasta, the crisped up skin would just get lost anyway. If you love crispy skin then go for it – layer your dish with the skin up for a pretty presentation.
- Feel free to use whatever colors of bell pepper catch your eye at the market this week. Just make sure and use more than one color to really make things pop. I love that peppers don’t lose any color during booking like some other veggies do.
- I call for mild Jamaican Jerk Seasoning, but feel free to up the heat if that’s your jam.
- It’s important to use a high-quality Parmesan. It just tastes better, plus it will melt better! Either buy a little cup of shreds or grate your own at home off the block. Definitely don’t use the “green can” here or you’ll be disappointed!
- The key to getting a smooth sauce is to add the cheese in two batches and make sure your heat isn’t too high. Whisk well as you add the cheese and everything will be just fine.
Aren’t a fan of Parmesan? Feel free to switch it up and try asiago or romano. You just want to use a hard cheese (so not mozzarella or cheddar) and again, fresh is best! There are some ingredients you just can’t “cheat” on and cheese is one of them. Many pre-shredded cheeses have stabilizers or ingredients to keep the shreds from clumping. These will all work against a smooth sauce so make sure and read the ingredients if you aren’t just buying a block.
Weeknight Dinner Tips
You can make this meal in a flash by cooking your pasta earlier in the day or even the night before and pop it in the fridge. Because you are adding it to the warm sauce, it’ll heat through in no time.
If you are making the pasta at the same time as the entire meal, save a little pasta water in a measuring cup before draining. If your sauce is too thick, just stir a little pasta water in to thin it out as well as add a silky feel.
As usual, let me know what you think and don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions or comments! Enjoy!
Salmon Rasta Pasta
Ingredients
- 4 salmon filets 4-6 ounces each
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium red bell pepper
- 1 medium green bell pepper
- 3 sprigs green onion
- 3 garlice cloves minced
- 2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 5-8 ounces shredded parmesan cheese
- 16 ounces rigatoni noodles
- pink himalayan salt
- ground black pepper
- jamaican jerk seasoning mild
- thyme
- paprika
- parsley optional garnish
- grated parmesan optional garnish
Instructions
- Generously sprinkle both sides of the salmon filets with salt, pepper, jerk seasoning, and thyme and set aside
- Add 2 tablespoon oil to a skillet and warm over medium high heat
- Add salmon, and cook on each side for about 3-5 minutes, depending on thickness of filet
- Remove from heat and set aside until ready to assemble pasta plate
- Cook noodles according to packaging, then drain and set aside
- In a large pot, add 1 tablespoon of oil and garlic then cook for 1-2 minutes on medium high heat
- Add the red pepper, green pepper, and green onion then sauté for 5-7 minutes or until tender
- Stir in heavy cream, coconut milk, and chicken broth and allow it to simmer for 10 minutes while stirring every few minutes
- Generously season sauce mixture with salt, pepper, jerk seasoning, paprika and thyme -stir well
- Stir in Parmesan cheese and allow sauce to cook for 5-7 minutes (taste to make sure it’s seasoned to your liking-adjust if necessary )
- Add the noodles to the sauce mixture and cook for another 7-10 minutes, stirring every few minutes
- Remove from heat and serve!
- Garnish pasta with parsley and grated Parmesan (optional)