Vegan rasta pasta is the ultimate comfort food. In it's original form, rasta pasta is made with chicken or seafood, but this vegan version uses vegan chicken chunks blackened in jerk seasoning. Add tri-color bell peppers and toss in a creamy, spicy sauce and enjoy this Jamaican/Italian fusion with a glass of wine or beer.
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Jamaican pasta? Yep, that's right! Actually, this recipe isn't purely Jamaican - it's a Jamaican/Italian fusion recipe that was originally developed by Jamaican chef Lorraine Washington in 1985. Lorraine's recipe used linguine in a tomato sauce base. It also included ackee, a popular island fruit.
My rasta pasta recipe is based loosely on my popular Cajun Coconut Milk Pasta Sauce. I've added vegan chicken tossed in jerk spices. And, naturally the vegan version of this dish includes the signature yellow, red and green peppers that give it that rastafarian feel.
If you love a creamy, comforting bowl of pasta, this vegetarian rasta pasta recipe will quickly find a place in your weekly meal plan. It's super easy to make; and, I've never served this dish without having someone ask me for the recipe.
Reasons You'll Love This Recipe
✅This vegan rasta pasta is much lighter and healthier than it's original counterpart. It's also just as tasty.
✅If you're looking for a unique midweek meal that can be on the table in under 30 minutes, this is it!
✅Rasta pasta is only mildly spicy, so it's perfect for kids.
Ingredients
- Pasta: I used penne, but I've made this recipe with rotini and spaghetti as well. Use whatever pasta you have in your pantry.
- Bell Peppers: The combination of red, yellow and green peppers is half of what makes this dish rasta pasta, so try to use all three colors.
- Garlic: There's 3 cloves of garlic in this recipe. You can use less if you don't like garlic.
- Coconut Milk: Use the kind of coconut milk that comes in a can, not a carton. If you want to lighten this recipe up, you can use half light coconut milk and half full fat, but the sauce will be a little thinner than if you used all full fat. If you go this route, consider thickening the sauce a bit with a cornstarch slurry.
- Nutritional Yeast: Nutritional yeast adds a nice cheesy flavor.
- Coconut Oil: I used coconut oil in this recipe, but olive oil would work equally well.
- Jerk Seasoning: There's a variety of jerk seasoning available at most grocery stores. Most of the brands are very similar with the base being all spice and Scotch bonnet.
- Scallions: Scallions (green onions) are an optional topping, but I like them for their fresh flavor and color.
How To Make Vegan Rasta Pasta
- Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet. Drain, reserving ¼ cup of the water.
- Cut your vegan chicken breasts into cubes. Transfer to a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon of jerk seasoning.
- In a saute pan, heat your coconut oil over medium low heat. Add the vegan chicken and saute for 5 minutes. Remove and transfer to a paper towel lined plate.
- Wipe out the pan and add the remaining tablespoon of coconut oil. Saute the peppers for 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for a further 30 seconds.
- Add your reserved pasta cooking water and coconut milk to the pan. With the lid off the pan, simmer the sauce for 10 minutes over medium heat. Test the sauce to see if it's as thick as you like. If it's still not thick enough, carry on simmering it for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add your nutritional yeast and remaining tablespoon of jerk seasoning to the pan. Stir to combine.
- Toss your pasta and vegan jerk chicken with the sauce, and garnish with optional scallions. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Recipe Variations And Substitutions
- The vegan chicken fillets are optional. Even if you don't use them, the "meatless" version is still delicious.
- I've also made this vegan rasta pasta with blackened tofu instead of the vegan chicken in the recipe. Try it, you'll love it!
- If you find that the coconut sauce is too thin, make a cornstarch slurry by adding 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to 2 tablespoons of water. Add it to the coconut milk sauce, and stir until the sauce has thickened.
- Put the pot of pasta under the broiler until the top is a bit crunchy. The texture makes a nice change.
- You can replace the nutritional yeast with vegan Parmesan cheese.
- Use any type of pasta you have on hand. Rotini, cavatelli, fusilli and spaghetti are all good choices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Rasta pasta is a pasta dish that has a creamy base that's seasoned with jerk spices. Red, yellow and green peppers are typical of this dish. Most rasta pastas include a protein like chicken or fish.
Rasta pasta can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days.
Craving More Easy Vegan Recipes?
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Rasta Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil or olive oil, divided
- 2 vegan chicken filets
- 2 tablespoons jerk seasoning
- 3 bell peppers in red, yellow and green, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ cup water from cooking pasta
- 13.5 ounce can coconut milk full fat
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 2 scallions finely sliced on the diagonal
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet. Drain, reserving ¼ cup of the water.
- Cut the vegan chicken breasts into cubes. Transfer to a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon of jerk seasoning.
- In a saute pan, heat the coconut oil over medium low heat. Add the vegan chicken and saute for 5 minutes. Remove and transfer to a paper towel lined plate.
- Wipe out the pan and add the remaining tablespoon of coconut oil. Saute the peppers for 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for a further 30 seconds.
- Add the reserved pasta cooking water and coconut milk to the pan. With the lid off the pan, simmer the sauce for 10 minutes over medium heat. Test the sauce to see if it's as thick as you like. If it's still not thick enough, carry on simmering it for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add the nutritional yeast and remaining tablespoon of jerk seasoning to the pan. Stir to combine.
- Toss the pasta and vegan jerk chicken with the sauce, and garnish with optional scallions.
Notes
- Rasta pasta can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days.
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