Oxtail & Rasta Pasta Only Recipe

Season and Marinate

Pat oxtails dry with paper towels. In a large bowl rub oxtails with sea salt, black pepper and ground allspice. Add minced garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar and thyme; toss to coat. Add whole scotch bonnet pepper (do not pierce) and cover. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, ideally 4 hours or overnight for best flavor.

Brown Oxtails

Remove oxtails from fridge 20 minutes before cooking. Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sear oxtails in batches, 3–4 minutes per side, until deeply browned. Transfer browned oxtails to a plate and set aside.

Build the Braise

Reduce heat to medium. Add the quartered onion and carrot chunks to the pot and sauté for 4–5 minutes until softened and starting to brown. Add the reserved oxtails back to the pot. Pour in beef or chicken stock until oxtails are mostly submerged (about 3 cups). Add the whole scotch bonnet pepper and optional bouillon cube. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and reduce heat to low.

Braise Until Tender

Simmer gently, partially covered, for 2.5–3 hours until meat is very tender and falling from the bone. Check every 45 minutes—if liquid is reducing too fast, add up to 1/2 cup hot water or stock. When done, remove oxtails and strain braising liquid into a saucepan. Reserve 1 cup of the liquid and set aside; the remainder can be reduced to make a rich sauce or discarded.

Shred Meat

When oxtails are cool enough to handle, pick meat from the bones with forks into bite-sized pieces. Skim and discard excess fat from shredded meat. You should have approximately 2 cups of shredded oxtail meat for the pasta.

Cook Pasta

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add penne and cook until just al dente according to package instructions (usually 9–11 minutes). Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain pasta and set aside.

Sauté Vegetables

While pasta cooks, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced red and yellow bell peppers and sauté 4–5 minutes until tender-crisp. Add sliced scallions and minced garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.

Season

Sprinkle creole or jerk seasoning over the vegetables and stir to coat. Adjust salt and black pepper to taste (start with the listed 1 tsp salt).

Make Cream Sauce

Reduce heat to medium-low. Pour in 1.5 cups heavy cream and 1 cup of the reserved oxtail braising liquid (or pasta water if you prefer a lighter flavor). Stir and let the cream warm—do not boil—until it begins to thicken slightly, about 3–4 minutes.

Finish Sauce

Stir in grated parmesan cheese until melted and smooth. If the sauce is too thick, add up to 1/2 cup reserved pasta water to reach desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Combine Pasta and Oxtail

Add drained penne to the skillet and toss to coat in the cream sauce. Fold in the shredded oxtail meat and gently combine so the meat heats through and becomes incorporated with the peppers and sauce, about 2 minutes. If using, add up to 1/2 cup more reserved reduced oxtail liquid to deepen flavor and loosen the sauce.

Warm Through

Continue to toss over low heat for 1–2 minutes until everything is hot and well combined. If the dish seems dry, add a splash of pasta water or cream to loosen.

Plate the pasta into shallow bowls or a large serving dish. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and additional grated parmesan if desired. Serve immediately with extra cracked black pepper and, if you like heat, sliced scotch bonnet or hot sauce on the side.