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Food

Coconut-Tomato Penne Pasta with Jerk Marinated Meatballs Italy meets Jamaica

BY NOEL CUNNINGHAM

This pasta dish is a mélange of Italian food with flavours of the Caribbean. Pasta dishes are the quintessential comfort food that almost everyone loves. From three cheese lasagna, to a seven cheese mac and cheese or shrimp pasta everyone has a favorite go to pasta dish that they will have over and over. The good thing about preparing pasta dishes is that it is affordable to prepare, easy to come together making you feel like a pro with the help of a handful of cheese and herbs. But overall, it is perfect for the family because almost every child loves saucy pasta. For this recipe I used penne pasta, which is my favorite, but you can use any pasta of your choice. You can take this dish up a notch by making your own tomato sauce using fresh tomatoes, garlic, onion, tomato paste and herbs. I used bought tomato sauce to save on time and since it was already in my cupboard why not?

If you need an easy dinner idea try this delicious pasta dish. With just a few basic ingredients, this rich and creamy one-pot pasta dinner turns simple meatballs and pasta into a beautiful meal for weeknight ease. Here is your chance to give this rustic but tasty creamy penne pasta and meatballs dish a try.

Preparation 20 mins
Cook Time: 35 mins

  • Ingredients
    ½ pound ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon jerk marinade
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup breadcrumbs
  • 2 tablespoons oil, for frying
  • 2 cups tomato sauce (your favorite)
  • 1 pack Penne pasta
  • ½ cup coconut milk
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese
  • 2 teaspoon dried parsley
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Directions
    In a large bowl, combine ground beef with jerk marinade, breadcrumbs, and egg until well combined. Shape mixture into 12 medium meatballs.
  2. Heat the oil in a pan, fry the meatballs for 4-5 minutes until browned. Meanwhile, place a medium pot with salted water over medium-high heat and cook pasta until al dente (firm to the bite) or to package instructions.
  3. Add tomato sauce and coconut milk to the meatballs then reduce flame and allow to     simmer. Drain the pasta and add the cooked pasta, salt, pepper and parmesan cheese to taste. The sauce will thicken the longer it simmers. Serve in a bowl with garlic bread, extra cheese and dried parsley leaves for garnish and enjoy.

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Written By

His obvious passion for food, and his gift for descriptive writing is what makes Chef Noel Cunningham one of Jamaica’s foremost culinary connoisseurs, and Toronto Caribbean Newspapers infamous culinary expert. Currently residing in Winnipeg Manitoba, Chef Cunningham gifts Toronto with delicious, and easy recipes that have been featured on several radio programs, tv shows and magazines. He has been featured on the Marc and Mandy Show, as well as one of CTV Winnipeg Morning Live Chefs. To add to his list of qualifications, Noel is all the owner of Cuisine by Noel Catering Company.

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