Vegan Rasta Pasta (authentic)

Some links are affiliated. This means I may earn a small commission from purchases made at no extra cost to you. Content is based off personal experience and not to be taken as or replace medical advice.

Sharing is caring!

Creamy, dairy free vegan rasta pasta with authentic Jamaican flavours. Count me in! This delicious and easy to make vegan rasta pasta is Jamaican approved and won’t leave your belly hurting like dairy milk or cheese.

What is Rasta pasta?

Rasta pasta a thick and cream based pasta dish usually made with cheese and jerk chicken or other meats. It’s actually not too common on the island but loved as a Jamaican inspired dish. Today we’re making a “cheesy” dairy free version with thick and creamy coconut milk and nutritional yeast.

This recipe does not feature a main protein but you can easily throw in some oyster mushrooms for a meaty flavor or jerk spiced chickpeas. My Jamaican Jerk Chickpeas recipe is very popular on the site and would taste so amazing paired with this pasta!

What you’ll need

Canned Full Fat Coconut milk- Homemade coconut milk won’t work the best in this recipe as it is very thin. However, if that is what you prefer, be sure to add in flour as a thickening agent.
Penne Pasta
Scallion (Green Onion)
Red Onion
Roma Tomato
Garlic
Fresh Thyme
Apple Cider Vinegar- Or lime
Red Bell Pepper
Yellow Bell Pepper
Green Bell Pepper
Olive Oil

Seasonings You Need

Wet Jerk Paste- Must be the wet marinade, this recipe has not been tested with dry jerk powder. If you need some, grab a bottle of quality Jamaican jerk paste here.
Nutritional Yeast- Do not skip this ingredient! Nooch is what gives this pasta its “cheesy” flavor without adding dairy or highly processed vegan cheeses. Get some nutritional yeast here if you don’t already have it.
Jamaican All Purpose- An absolute must in all Jamaican inspired dishes! Use this link to grab some quality seasoning here.
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Italian Seasoning
Black Pepper
Salt

How to make vegan Rasta pasta

Step One:

Cook your pasta according to package instructions. **Important, we will be simmering the pasta in coconut milk at the end, leave your pasta ‘al dente’ or slightly under cooked so it doesn’t become soft and mushy when simmered in the coconut milk!**

With clean and freshly washed produce, slice your bell peppers into thin strips. Chop your scallion, garlic, onion, and tomato and leave the thyme stems whole.

Sauté your onion, scallion, thyme, and garlic in a pan with hot oil for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Then, add in the bell peppers/tomato, dried seasoning, and wet jerk paste. Stir for another 2 minutes.

Step Two:

Now, add in your coconut milk and apple cider vinegar, allow the veggies to simmer for about 5 minutes. Once the pasta has cooked al dente, strain and add it to the pan. Allow everything to simmer for 5-7 minutes.

Step Three:

Once the pasta has simmered in the coconut milk, salt to taste. Please note extra salt may not be necessary as most wet jerk pastes already include salt. Serve while warm and enjoy!

Notes for Vegan rasta Pasta

I always use homemade coconut milk in my recipes however we need a thick creamy sauce for this vegan rasta pasta. Homemade coconut milk is typically very thin so I used a can of full fat organic coconut milk. If you prefer to stick to homemade, let it sit in the fridge overnight. Only use the thick cream at the top. This is the substance that will make this dish nice and creamy.

Feel free to add a handful of vegan cheese into the rasta pasta, it will melt nicely and taste amazing!

Topping this off with some sautéed, meaty oyster mushrooms is a fantastic way to add extra protein and flavor. My Jamaican Jerk chickpeas recipe also tastes awesome when paired with this creamy vegan rasta pasta.

The pasta will be simmering in coconut milk at the end. Leave it slightly under cooked after boiling so you don’t have a mushy rasta pasta when combining with the coconut milk!

How to store Vegan Rasta Pasta

This vegan rasta pasta recipe can store safely in the fridge for up to 4 days. You don’t want iti to sit any longer because the coconut milk can go bad quite easily. If needed for longer, store in a freezer safe plastic bag and freeze for up to 2 weeks.

Vegan rasta pasta does well for meal prep and children! It’s a great, easy vegan dinner for the whole family and can easily be made gluten free.

Did you enjoy this recipe? Sharing is caring! Be sure to share with family and friends and save to your Pinterest board for later.

Check out more delicious vegan Jamaican recipes on the blog

Authentic Jamaican Rice and Peas

Vegan Jamaican Brownstew “Chicken”

Jamaican Jerk Chickpeas