Best Of CLE: Caribbean-Inspired Pasta

Caribbean-fusion eatery UJerk has hit it big with its weekend-only Rasta Pasta dish.

Sometimes you’ve got to trust your instincts.

When Jon Manning and his partners were getting ready to launch UJerk, their Caribbean-fusion eatery in downtown Cleveland in July, Manning’s brother pushed him to include one more menu item: the Rasta Pasta ($14).

“He was like, Just put it on, They’ll love it,” says Manning. “It’s been magical. It’s been a great reaction.”

Customers have quickly fallen for the dish, which is inspired by an entree found at Footprints in New York City.

“We thought it would be a great thing to bring over here,” says Manning.

Here in the Land, you can only get this specialty dish on Fridays and Saturdays when Manning and his crew make the sauce from scratch. Penne pasta gets topped with a blend of heavy cream, coconut milk, chicken and a Caribbean jerk spice blend. His final touch, which differs from the NYC original, is a sweet and spicy Swedish chili sauce.

UJerk sells upwards of 75 plates of it each weekend, proving that sometimes it pays to listen to your gut.

“There is a big craze with the Rasta Pasta,” he says. “When people meet me on the street, that’s probably the main thing that they talk about.” 850 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, 216-675-0022, ujerknation.com