My Salmon Rasta Pasta Recipe is currently the top viewed blog recipe, and I thought it would make sense to share my absolute favorite type of Rasta Pasta-oxtail!
What exactly is Rasta Pasta? Well I first found out about it because local restaurants and Instagram chefs were making it, so this is my spin on it. Oxtail is a meat that may not be sold in traditional grocers , although I have seen an increase of stores that are starting to offer it. In South Florida every store had it, but now while I’m Texas I noticed it’s not as common.
This is not a quick dish; tender and tasty oxtails take time to prepare but I promise you it will be worth the wait! Now you can cut the cook time by using a pressure cooker, however, I am very much so afraid of them lol so this recipe is made entirely on the stovetop.
Glam Kitchen Recipe Tips
- Oxtail is a great cut to use as it becomes very tender when cooked low and slow.
- Unfamiliar with browning sauce? Kitchen Bouquet is one such brand. This item adds color and flavor and promotes browning. It isn’t salty so your other flavors will shine through and the final dish will have a rich and deep color.
- Washing and trimming the fat is essential in having delicious oxtail meat.
- It’s also important to marinate the oxtail in your seasoning mixture for several hours. This ensures all the flavor is soaked up and also starts the breakdown process.
- There isn’t a lot of meat on these bones. We aren’t looking at steak. What we are looking at though is meat that is surrounded by fat and collagen which means it will make the best dang gravy you’ve ever tasted!
How to Make Oxtail Rasta Pasta
Combine all seasoning in a large bowl and add your clean oxtail to it. Mix it up well (get in there with your hands!) to make sure it is entirely coated.
After you’ve let this marinate a few hours, it’s time to start layering your flavors. Brown the oxtail in a large, heavy pot, like a Dutch oven.
Add the aromatics and let them brown up too.
Next up is adding water – make sure you take your wooden spoon and scrape up any brown bits you’ve created on the bottom of the pot. We don’t want to miss any flavor!
Now set your lid on and walk away. It’s going to take a few hours to get this meat off the bones, and it is well worth the wait. Give them a stir every 30 minutes or so to make sure nothing is sticking to the pot.
I like to make pasta in a creamy coconutty sauce on the side. This gives a great base to serve your oxtail over.
Is it a lot of dishes and a lot of time? Yup! But I promise this will be a showstopper of a meal you make time and time again.
This recipe is sure to make everyone’s face light up, so I hope you enjoy! As always if you have any questions or want to share how it came out, email or DM me.

Creamy Oxtail Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
Oxtail
- 3-4 pounds oxtail meat
- 2 tsp adobo all purpose seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 2 tbsp wet Jamaican jerk seasoning I used the Walkerwood brand in mild
- 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 1/2 tbsp Jamaican browning I used the Grace brand
- 2 tbsp garlic minced
- 3 cups water
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
Pasta
- 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 medium red bell pepper chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper chopped
- 3 sprigs green onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 5-8 ounces parmesan cheese shredded
- 16 ounces penne noodles
- 1/2 tsp adobo all purpose seasoning
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp jamaican jerk seasoning Walkerwood brand in mild
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- parsley optional garnish
Instructions
Oxtail
- In a large bowl, clean the oxtail meat with vinegar and cold water before cooking.
- After the oxtail meat is clean, in another clean bowl, season the meat with all-purpose seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, allspice then add wet jerk seasoning,sugar,ketchup and browning-mix well.
- Add thyme, minced garlic, and green onion to the bowl-mix the contents of the bowl well and allow it to marinate for 30 minutes to 4 hours.
- In a large, heated pot, add olive oil and on medium high heat, brown the oxtail for 6-8 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add chopped onions, and red bell pepper, sauté for another 3-5 minutes.
- Add water, give it another stir and allow it to cook for 3 hours (stir the contents of the pot every 20-30 minutes to prevent sticking).
- Drain any oil from off the top of the finished oxtail gravy.
- Your oxtail meat should be tender at the end of the cook time, if not allow them to continue to simmer on low.
- Remove from heat
- Serve over pasta
Pasta
- 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 3-5 minutes or until tender
- Stir in heavy cream, coconut milk, and chicken broth and allow it to simmer for 8-10 minutes while stirring every few minutes
- Season sauce mixture with all purpose seasoning , pepper, jerk seasoning, paprika and thyme -stir well
- Slowly 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 8-10 minutes, stirring every few minutes
- Remove from heat and serve!
Serves 4
****Oxtail****
My mom uses a pressure cooker but am also afraid lol
Can I put it in the slow cooker?
I’m afraid of pressure cookers also lol and yes you can put them in a slow cooker
I’ve made the rasta pasta twice and my picky 20 year old daughter loves it. The oxtail were a hit too. They were extremely tender and delicious! Can’t wait to make them again.
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you for the feedback!
This looks divine 😍
Thank you !
Wow! I’ve never had Rasta Pasta, I excited to make this dish!
Let me know how it turns out !
How long would you cook them in the slow cooker?
Hi, I would cook them on low for 6-8 hours
I don’t eat beef but that pasta was EVERYTHING!!!! My kids loved it.
Thank you ❤️❤️❤️
I’m French and l never cooked any of your recipes but everytime that you publish one i love to read it carefully and to dream to have a bit of the dish !
Wow thank you so much !!
Thank you so much
I’ve been making this every week for a month now
Yasssss- I’m so happy to hear that !❤️
You’re doing the Lord’s work. Amen. 🤤
Lol thank you
Do I cover the oxtails while cooking?
Yes
Making the Ox Tails as I type!
Yassss!
I’m making these today. I’m using a crock pot.😋
Yassssss❤️
Hi, making this today!!! Do I get rid of the marinade?
What step are you on ? You’re cooking it with all the seasonings