Who says you can only use Jamaican jerk seasoning for meat? This delicious pasta salad was inspired by the famous Jamaican jerk seasoning. It is very easy to prepare, and the flavour is incredible. It is not only a great way to use and enjoy left-over pasta or but also a way to take pasta your regular pasta meal from “common” to “extraordinary”.
Jump to RecipeMost people think that jerk seasoning can only be used for meat, but that is not true. Like any spice, you can use it to cook whatever you like, as long as you like the taste. You can also adapt the mix, if there is something you don’t particularly like. I don’t use sugar in my jerk recipes because I don’t like the added sweet taste; and they taste amazing.
Origin Of Jerk Seasoning
Jamaican Jerk seasoning’s origin can be traced back to the pre-slavery periods; to the native Jamaican Indians called “Arawak”. They used jerk to season and preserve their meat. It was made even popular by the maroons, who were slaves who escaped from British invasion of the island They introduced open air roasting, which was native to Africa, where they came from.
The jerk seasoning has come a long way since then and is now a favourite in different parts of the world; with the recipes varying depending on where you are and who you are with. The things they all have in common are; allspice, thyme, and chilli.
How To Store Jerk Seasoning
To prepare this recipe, you first have to make the jerk seasoning mix. Just store the remaining mix in an airtight container, and it can last up to 6 months. You can use this in other dishes or grilled meat, fish or vegetables. Apart from being cheaper, another advantage of mixing your own seasoning is that you can adapt it to suit your taste. For example, if you don’t like a lot of heat, you can reduce the quantity of chilli etc.
Pasta with Jerk Seasoning
Ingredients
Jerk Seasoning Mix Without Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Ground allspice
- 1 tablespoon Onion powder
- ½ teaspoon Chilli flakes
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Ginger
- 1 teaspoon Dried thyme
Jerk Pasta Ingredients
- 2 Cups Pasta any shape
- 2 tablespoons Oil
- 1 Onion chopped
- 1 can Black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 cup Sweetcorn – 1 cup frozen
- 2 tablespoon Jamaican jerk seasoning
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Mix all the spices in a jar.
Cook the pasta with some salt. Remove from heat; drain and rinse with cold water, 7 mins before the recommended cooking time on the pack. - Heat the oil in a pan under medium heat.
- Cook the onions until soft and translucent.
- Add the jerk seasoning mix and stir continuously for 30 secs.
- Add the cooked pasta, black beans and sweet corn with a cup of water, and add some salt if required.
- Cover the pan and allow to cook until the water dries out.
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