Rasta Pasta

Makes 4 servings Time: Weekday

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Bold, fiery, thick, and creamy, this pasta—great served hot or cold—offers a taste of the beauty of cultural syncretism. In Jamaican immigrant communities from New York to London, Rasta Pasta is a treasured tradition, favored for the way two seemingly disparate worlds—Italy and Jamaica—come together in one bright and unfussy pot. It’s so beloved in Jamaica that the esteemed Evita’s Italian Restaurant devoted an entire menu to the dish’s many variants, including a signature the restaurant dubs Reggae-toni. This version turns the typically dairy-heavy dish plant-based with the use of coconut milk, itself a Caribbean staple, keeping Rasta Pasta firmly in touch with its roots.

Mastering The Art of Plant-Based Cooking Joe Yonan

INGREDIENTS 

• Fine sea salt

• 12 ounces (340g) penne pasta

• 3 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil 1⁄2 cup (60g) chopped red onion

• 5 garlic cloves, finely grated or pressed

• 1 teaspoon chopped Scotch bonnet or habanero pepper

• 1 teaspoon grated lime zest

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

• 3 tablespoons Jerk Spice (see below)

• 4 bell peppers (11⁄2 pounds/680g), preferably a mix of red, green, yellow, and orange, thinly sliced

• 1 (13.5-ounce/400ml) can full-fat coconut milk 3 scallions, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS

BRING A LARGE POT of salted water to a boil. Add the penne and cook it 2 minutes shy of al dente according to the package directions. Reserving ½ cup (120ml) of the pasta water, drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat until it melts and starts to shimmer. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion has lost some of its bright purple hue, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the Scotch bonnet, lime zest, thyme, jerk spice, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, just until fragrant, a few seconds. Add all the bell peppers and cook, stirring, until they are well coated in the aromatics, about 1 minute. Stir in the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium so the liquid is gently simmering, cover, and cook for 3 minutes to meld the flavors.

Add the cooked pasta to the sauce, reduce the heat to low, and gently toss to combine. If the sauce seems too thick, stir in some of the pasta water, ¼ cup (60ml) at a time, to thin it out. Taste and season with more salt as needed.

Divide among serving bowls, top with the scallions, and serve warm. Alternatively, let come to room temperature and refrigerate for a few hours before garnishing to serve as a pasta salad.

JERK SPICE

Makes a scant 1⁄2 cup Time: Weekday

Storage: Cool, dark place in an airtight container for up to 3 months. 

Jerk seasoning, native to Jamaica, is known for its fiery combination of Scotch bonnet peppers and allspice. This take on the rub is made with pantry staples and offers a delightful marriage of opposites— heat and sweet, with warming undertones. Use it on Stewed Jerk Lentils, or anywhere you’d like a taste of the Caribbean, in any other bean dish, on popcorn (perhaps with nutritional yeast), or sprinkled on tofu, tempeh, or your favorite vegetable before (or after) roasting.

• 2 tablespoons ground allspice

• 2 teaspoons light or dark brown sugar 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 2 teaspoons granulated garlic 2 teaspoons ground ginger

• 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg 2 teaspoons dried thyme

• 2 teaspoons fine sea salt

• 1⁄2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

IN A SMALL BOWL, whisk together all the ingredients until combined.

Reprinted with permission from Mastering the Art of Plant-Based Cooking by Joe Yonan, copyright © 2024. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC.

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