Jerk Chicken Pasta

This recipe is inspired by Cuddyz's  Record Breaking Jerked Chicken Pasta, a pasta to die for! It combines the rich flavours of traditional pasta with the fiery kick of spicy jerked chicken. You can't go wrong with this one, especially if your tastebuds can handle some heat!
Cuddyz is a restaurant in New Kingston, Jamaica, that was founded by the famed Jamaican West Indian cricketer, Courtney Walsh. Huh??? What in the world is cricket? Hahahaha, I don't blame you!

Cuddyz Sports Bar & Grill, New Kingston, Jamaica

Ingredients:

• 1.5 pounds chicken breasts, diced
• 2 tablespoons of jerk paste plus one tablespoon of jerk paste
• 1 pound dried penne pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive or coconut oil
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 orange bell pepper, diced
• 1 Scotch bonnet (habanero) pepper, sliced and unseeded*
• 5 grains of pimento (allspice), crushed
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 1 medium onion diced
• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup half and half**
• 1/2 cup light sour cream
• 2 teaspoons of lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon of cilantro

*Please be careful when handling Scotch bonnet/habanero peppers. These peppers are really hot, especially the seeds. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling them. Otherwise,  please wear gloves before slicing them up. Omit this ingredient if you need to reduce the heat!

**In order to reduce the calorific value and fat content, use fat free or skimmed milk.  However, this will render the sauce more watery.

Method:

Mix the chicken and the jerk paste together. Refrigerate and marinate for at least 2 hours. You have the option of using a commercial jerk paste, or you can make your own.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain.

Meanwhile, heat olive or coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in diced  the onions. Cook 3 minutes. Stir in the chicken. Continue cooking until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Then, add the peppers and garlic. To this, add the thyme and allspice. Cook for about 3 more minutes. 

DIY Jerk Seasoning

Instead of making jerk marinade from scratch every time when making jerked chicken, pork or fish, this very spicy seasoning is a great shortcut. This is especially useful for making jerked chicken pasta or other jerk derived dishes.

The below ingredients will make a finger-licking jerk seasoning that is virtually the same as the better commercial brands. The final result is a thick, jerk paste. Thanks to Keeks Y. for this recipe.

INGREDIENTS :

• 1/2 cup pimentos (allspice berries)

• 1/2+ cup packed brown sugar

• 6-8 garlic cloves

• 4-6 Scotch bonnet peppers

• 1 tablespoon ground thyme or 2 tablespoons of thyme leaves

• 1-2 bunches escallions (green onions)

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

• salt and pepper to taste

• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce to moisten the mixture

METHOD:

1.Process the contents in a food processor or otherwise blend and liquefy.

2. Pour sauce into an empty container and keep refrigerated.

3. The sauce will keep indefinitely if kept refrigerated.

4. To increase spiciness of the sauce blend peppers and pimentos together and add this mixture to the  to sauce at anytime.

I stored mine in an old Adams peanut butter jar.