Vegan Rasta pasta is a rich and creamy plant-based pasta packed with veggies and seasoned with Jamaican jerk spices. It makes a quick and easy weeknight meal that's packed with flavor!
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I like to make my rasta pasta with vegan jerk chicken for added protein, but you can also toss in vegan sausage, or vegan shrimp instead or simply use chickpeas for a more whole foods plant-based meal.
❤️ Why make this recipe
This creamy dairy-free rasta pasta is quick and easy to make in about 20 minutes, yet it tastes so good, your family will think that it took you all day. If you like the complex Caribbean flavors of Jamaican jerk seasoning, you will love this spicy pasta!
🧾 Ingredients and substitutions
- Pasta - any shape pasta that you like will work. Penne pasta or bow-tie pasta are good choices. See which brands of pasta are vegan. Use gluten-free pasta if desired.
- Vegan Chicken - you can use store-bought or homemade chicken strips, rehydrated Butler Soy Curls, or even my vegan shredded chicken or quick and easy chicken seitan. You can also simply leave this out or replace it with chickpeas. See all my ideas for vegan chicken alternatives.
- Cooking Oil - I like to use light olive oil, but you can use any neutral-flavored oil that you want.
- Jamaican Jerk Seasoning - This is a mix of a long list of seasonings. You can make it yourself with a mix of thyme, paprika, nutmeg, allspice, and cumin, but it may be less expensive to buy the mix than all of the spices that you need to make the mix.
- Bell Peppers - Part of what makes this dish "rasta pasta" is the red, yellow, and green colors, so I always use red pepper and yellow pepper, but green peppers work well too. You can also use red and yellow cherry tomatoes instead of peppers if you wish.
- Green Onion - for color and flavor. You can also use a small sweet onion or 1/2 tsp of onion powder.
- Garlic Cloves - for flavor. You can also use 1/2 tsp of garlic powder if you don't have fresh garlic.
- Coconut Milk - use full-fat coconut milk for a creamy sauce. If you don't want the coconut flavor, you can use vegan heavy cream or soy milk, or oat milk instead with 1 tsp of cornstarch to help it thicken.
- Sea Salt - to taste. You may not need any salt if your jerk seasoning mix contains salt already.
- Black Pepper - or extra cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes if you want spicier pasta.
- Parsley - or green onions, cilantro, or other fresh herbs of choice for garnishing the pasta.
🔪 Helpful tools
- Large Frying Pan - or skillet to cook the sauce and mix the pasta.
🥄 How to make rasta pasta vegan
Step 1 - Cook pasta shape of choice according to package directions.
Step 2 - While the pasta is cooking saute vegan chicken (or your choice of vegan protein) in 1 tablespoon of light olive oil until slightly browned, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of Jamaican Jerk seasoning, and set aside.
Step 3 - Wash and slice 3 bell peppers and 3-4 stalks of green onions, then saute them in 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes stirring frequently until tender. Add 2 cloves of minced garlic for the last minute of cooking the veggies.
Step 4 - Toss the vegan chicken back in with the vegetables, sprinkle with the 2 remaining tablespoons Jamaican Jerk seasoning, and toss until mixed.
Step 5 - Then add 1 can of full-fat coconut milk (or coconut cream) or 1 1/2 cups of vegan heavy cream and stir well.
Step 6 - Drain the cooked pasta and add it to the creamy vegetable mixture.
Step 7 - Garnish with parsley, chives, or vegan cheese. You can also sprinkle it with some vegan parmesan cheese.
👩🏻🍳 Pro Tips
- Only saute the pepper and green onions for a few minutes to make them tender, but don't overcook them.
- For a lower-fat option, saute the veggies in a few tablespoons of vegetable broth instead of oil and use oat milk instead of coconut milk.
🥛 Vegan cream alternatives
Coconut Milk - A can of full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream.
Vegan Coffee Creamer - You can use store-bought creamer like silk or an equivalent brand, or you can use my vegan coffee creamer recipe.
Cream Sauce - You can easily make a vegan bechamel sauce with a roux and add it to the veggies to make a tomato cream sauce.
Thickened Plant Milk - Use 1 1/2 cups soy milk or oat milk with 2 teaspoons of cornstarch dissolved in it for a lower-fat method.
Cashew Cream Sauce - Soak 3/4 cup of cashews overnight or for an hour in hot water, then blend in a high-speed blender with 1 cup of filtered water until smooth and creamy. See the full cashew heavy cream recipe for more detailed instructions.
Tofu Cream - Add a container of silken tofu to a blender with 1/2 cup of plain flavored plant-based milk and blend until smooth and creamy.
⚐ Why is it called Rasta pasta?
Rasta pasta was invented by chef Lorraine Washington in 1985, in her restaurant in Negril, Jamaica. The green, yellow, and red colors in the pasta dish are also the colors of the Rasta flag.
❓ How to make it gluten-free?
To make this Jerk pasta gluten-free, simply use your favorite gluten-free pasta. You will also want to choose a gluten-free meat alternative like butler soy curls, Beyond Chicken, or garbanzo beans as the protein source.
🥡 Storage and reheating
Refrigerate: This Caribean-style pasta will keep well in the refrigerator for 3 - 5 days in an airtight container.
Freeze: Rasta pasta well and can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating: Reheat a serving of the leftover pasta in the microwave for about 3 minutes or add a few tablespoons of water and reheat it in a saucepan on the stovetop until warm.
🌟 More easy pasta dishes
- Vegan Alfredo
- Creamy Tofu Pasta
- Broccoli Pasta
- Vegan Sausage Pasta with Kale
- Vegan Orzo with Spinach
📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!
📋 Vegan rasta pasta recipe
Vegan Rasta Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 (16 oz) package pasta
- 2 tablespoons light olive oil (divided)
- 2 cups vegan chicken strips (or swap for tofu, chickpeas, or mushrooms)
- 3 medium bell peppers
- 1/2 cup green onions
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 tablespoons jerk seasoning
- 1 (13 oz) can full-fat coconut milk (or coconut cream) (or 1 1/2 cups oat milk mix with 1 1/2 teaspoons corn starch)
- 1 dash salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta shape of choice according to package directions.
- While the pasta is cooking saute vegan chicken (or your choice of vegan protein) in 1 tablespoon of light olive oil until slightly browned, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of Jamaican Jerk seasoning, and set aside.
- Wash and slice 3 bell peppers and 3-4 stalks of green onions, then saute them in 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes stirring frequently until tender. Add 2 cloves of minced garlic for the last minute of cooking the veggies.
- Toss the vegan chicken back in with the vegetables, sprinkle with the 2 remaining tablespoons of Jamaican Jerk seasoning and toss until mixed.
- Then add 1 can of full-fat coconut milk (or coconut cream) and stir well.
- Drain the cooked pasta and add it to the creamy vegetable mixture.
- Garnish with parsley, chives, or vegan cheese. You can also sprinkle it with some vegan parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Only saute the pepper and green onions for a few minutes to make them tender, but don't overcook them.
- For a lower-fat option, saute the veggies in a few tablespoons of vegetable broth instead of oil and use oat milk instead of coconut milk.
Nutrition
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Click the stars above or leave a comment! I'd love to hear from you!
What is jerk seasoning?? Never heard!
It's ais a blend of spices that usually includes garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, allspice, ginger, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, smoked paprika, ground cloves, white pepper, and brown sugar. They sell it in most major grocery stores in the spice section.
A very tasty recipe! I used "Meatless Crumbles", a tvp made out of pea protein. The recipe has a lot of heat, which I like, hubby not so much, and I only used 2 T of the seasoning (I used your jerk seasoning recipe). I used an 8 oz package of pasta and that was still way too much. Next time will try over cauliflower rice and use black beans for the protein. A great base for experimenting with ingredients!
I'm glad that you liked the recipe, Nancy. 🙂
Délicieux