Vegan Rasta Pasta

Learn how to cook vegan Rasta pasta with this quick recipe. Creating Caribbean-style comfort food is simpler than you might imagine. 

This Jamaican-inspired vegan Rasta pasta recipe offers a taste of the Caribbean and is a wonderful alternative to traditional pasta dishes.

This rich, flavorsome dish includes a trio of bell peppers in signature Rastafarian colors – red, yellow and green.

The pasta gets its punchy kick from jerk seasoning, a Jamaican favorite, balanced by a delightfully creamy coconut sauce.

It’s quick and easy to make, allowing even the most novice of cooks to enjoy this Caribbean-style comfort food.

Beautiful island flavors enrich the dish and the combination of crunchy peppers, sautéed vegetables and creamy sauce give an appealing textural contrast.

Remarkably versatile, this recipe can be adjusted to include extra protein and can be eaten hot or cold.

If you enjoy this, I’m sure you’ll also like these other vegan Jamaican recipes:

• Vegan Jamaican Patties
• Pigeon Peas and Rice
• Jamaican Tofu Curry
• Vegan Jamaican Stew Peas

Ingredients you’ll need 

• Pasta – I’d recommend penne, but other types of small pasta like fusilli are suitable, or even linguine.
• Bell peppers – using red, green and yellow varieties provide this dish with its vibrant color.
• Jerk seasoning is used in this Jamaican-inspired pasta dish to give it a unique flavor.
  My favorite brand is Walkerswood. It’s made in Jamaica and is the most popular brand there.
  I recommend choosing MILD instead of spicy. You’ll be able to add more sauce if needed without the extra heat.
  If you would like some heat, I suggest adding some chopped scotch bonnet or chilli peppers close to the end of cooking.
• Water or vegetable broth and coconut milk for the pasta sauce
• Flour to thicken the sauce and keep the coconut milk from separating or curdling while cooking at high heat.
• Garlic, thyme and scallions
• Nutritional yeast and lime juice – Nutritional yeast adds a cheesy flavor and lime juice adds a bit of acidity or tang to balance the richness of the coconut milk.
• Vegan butter or olive oil
• Salt and black pepper

How to make Vegan Rasta Pasta 

(Quick summary. Full recipe details in the printable card at the end.)

1. Cook the pasta al dente, according to package directions, drain and set aside.

2. Over low heat, sauté garlic and scallions in olive oil or vegan butter. Add flour and allow to brown.

3. Add water or vegetable stock and stir into a smooth sauce. Stir in coconut milk, nutritional yeast, lime juice or vinegar, jerk seasoning and thyme. Season with salt and pepper and leave to simmer.

4. Add chopped bell peppers and cooked pasta then gently toss before serving. 

Key tips to follow

• Adding raw or only lightly cooked bell peppers gives a satisfyingly crispy bite and freshness to the dish, which is preferred over soft overcooked peppers.
• The recipe uses a skillet, but a large pot can be used, depending on what you have available. You can even use the pot used to cook the pasta, to save on cleaning up time. 
• Once your pasta is cooked al dente, ensure you drain immediately to prevent overcooking. 
• Adding the flour and stock gradually while constantly stirring will ensure little to no lumps, for a smooth, thick roux-like base for the sauce. 

Recipe variations and substitutions 

• This recipe uses canned coconut milk but dried or fresh coconut milk could also be used. Be aware that some brands of dried coconut milk can contain milk derivatives. Canned coconut milk saves time and most brands are usually vegan-friendly.   

• If you’re out of vegan butter or olive oil, coconut oil could be used, or other vegetable oils. 

• You can use white, whole wheat or gluten-free pasta, depending on your preference. Similarly, other shapes can be used if penne is not available.

• All-purpose gluten-free flour may be used in place of wheat flour. One tablespoon (7g) of cornstarch may be used as well. However, dissolve in the water or broth before adding to the pot to reduce lumps.

• Chives, spring onion or even leeks, are common substitutes for scallion if you don’t have any to hand.

• Whilst the colorful trio of bell peppers are a signature component of Rasta pasta, feel free to add additional vegetables. I often use pasta dishes as an opportunity to use up extra vegetables like spinach, celery or chili peppers. 

• Storebought vegan cheese can be added instead of nutritional yeast and lime juice. Violife is a pretty good brand and I’ve heard lots of good reviews about Miyoko’s.

Storage Suggestions

If you’re making a larger batch and want to keep some to enjoy later, you can refrigerate or freeze the dish.

To ensure safety and quality, allow the dish to cool before promptly refrigerating, within two hours of cooking. If possible, store the pasta and homemade sauce in separate airtight containers.

Correctly refrigerated, the sauce will last for three to four days and the pasta for three to five days. Freezing provides a shelf life of up to four months.

Serving Suggestions

If you’re looking for inspiration on what to serve alongside this flavorsome main, salads or garlic bread are perfect accompaniments to pasta. 

For a fun twist on classic garlic bread, try out this surprisingly simple recipe for some irresistible vegan garlic knots.

More pasta recipes

• Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese
• Vegan Vodka Sauce Pasta
• Vegan Butternut Squash Ravioli
• Vegan Mac and Cheese
• Vegan Hamburger Helper
• Vegan Pastitsio