You’ll feel like you’re on vacation in the Islands when you try Rasta Pasta! It’s one of many delicious recipes you’ll find in Caribbean Vegan by Taymer Mason.
I’ve never been to Jamaica, but when I picked up Caribbean Vegan, I was immediately drawn to this dish.
I think it was the colors of the bell peppers that made it look so enticing.
This cookbook is perfect for anyone who wants to learn more about Island cuisine.
You’ll find recipes from Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, St Lucia, Jamaica, and other islands. And it’s interesting to see the influence of Spanish, French, African, and Asian flavors on the region’s flavors.
Taymer Mason starts by giving an introduction to the ingredients used in Caribbean cooking, which I found very useful.
In addition, I found the chapters to be organized in a very logical fashion:
Seasonings and Sauces
Breakfasts
Appetizers
Soups and Stews
Mains
Side Dishes
Teas and Sweet and Savory Delights
Desserts
Drinks and Cocktails
You may be temped to jump right to the last chapter, and I wouldn’t blame you!
But I learned that Island cuisine is a lot more than tropical drinks.
Rasta Pasta is a really delicious main course.
However, it does take quite a bit of time to make since it has a lot of components.
I made it on a weeknight, but I would suggest making it on the weekend instead when you have more time.
Or you can skip the walnut balls if you are short on time.
The coconut curry sauce is delicious on it’s own with pasta and vegetables.
I felt rushed when I tried to do everything on a busy weeknight. You might be able to tell from my messy meatless balls!
Want to try some more recipes from Caribbean Vegan? Check these out!
And if you’re looking for more recipes that include curry, check out these favorites:
Now let’s make Rasta Pasta!
Rasta Pasta
Ingredients
WALNUT BALLS
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil, (or olive oil) for sautéing
- 2 cups chopped button mushrooms
- 2 small onions, sliced
- 1 cup walnut halves, soaked in 3 cups of water for at least 30 minutes
- 5 garlic cloves crushed
- 3 dates, pitted
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon Bragg Liquid Aminos
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon flax meal, soaked in 2 tablespoons of hot water for 3 minutes
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup oat flour, plus 2 Tablespoons
- ¼ cup fine bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons Jamaican Jerk Seasoning
- 2 teaspoons seasoning salt
- 1/2 cup neutral oil, for frying
SAUCE
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon Madras curry powder, (or Thai curry powder, any color)
- 1 can coconut milk, (13.5 ounces)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed
- 1 tablespoon tamari, (or Bragg Liquid Aminos or soy sauce)
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- salt, to taste
PASTA
- 4 tablespoons olive or coconut oil, for sautéing
- 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1/2 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 pound linguini, cooked al dente according to package directions
Instructions
- To make the walnut balls, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and onions and sauté until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer the mixture to a food processor. Add the drained walnuts, garlic, dates, nutritional yeast, liquid aminos, thyme, flax meal mixed with hot water, curry powder, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Pulse until the nuts have been chopped fine but you still have texture.
- Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and add the oat flour, bread crumbs, jerk seasoning, and seasoning salt. Form the mixture into twenty 1.5-inch balls.
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- 5. Heat the neutral oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the walnut balls, until a thin brown crust is formed, 5 minutes.
- Transfer the balls to the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, or until the form an outer brown crust.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat the oil in a medium-sized pot heat. Add the curry and heat through, about 1 minute. Add the coconut milk, onion, garlic, soy sauce, cilantro, allspice, sugar, and onion powder and stir to combine. Taste and adjust for salt. Bring to a boil and stir until the mixture is fairly creamy.
- To finish the pasta, heat olive oil in a wok over high heat. Sauté the bell peppers until slightly tender, about 2 minutes. Add the pasta and heat through, tossing to combine, about 4 minutes. Add the sauce, to taste, and top with the walnut balls.
- To serve, layer the balls over pasta and top off with sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
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Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
What a fun pasta dish! That sounds delicious and so hearty!
Amy
Thanks Rebecca! It’s definitely hearty.
valmg @ From Val's Kitchen
This dish has terrific color! I’m not familiar with one or two of the ingredients but it sounds flavorful.
Amy
Thanks Val! I was able to find all the ingredients at Whole Foods.
Mark, CompassandFork
Look at all the colors in this fabulous looking pasta dish. I love the Caribbean ingredients and flavors.- so inviting. This looks like a Saturday night dinner this coming weekend.
Amy
Thanks Mark! It’s perfect for a Saturday night dinner!
Laura
Such a vibrant looking dish! And I love the idea of dates in this paste – that sweet taste and chewy texture in a pasta recipe sounds fantastic!
Amy
Thanks Laura! It’s got a lot of flavors going on.
Nicole Dawson
I went to Jamaica for my honeymoon many years ago and wasn’t a fan of traditional foods but I think I’d love this vegan version. All those flavors sound amazing.
Amy
Thanks Nicole! From what I can tell it’s not very traditional but more of a fusion dish.
Mary Ellen @ VNutrition
This looks so delicious! I’m obsessed with pasta and always looking for new ingredients – love the look of the sauce and walnut balls. 🙂
Amy
Thanks Mary Ellen! Mine looks a lot messier than the photo in the book, but it was a big hit in my house. Everyone loved it and already requested I make it again!
Byron Thomas
At first glance, I would never guess that those meatballs are vegetarian! They look so good! I’m in love with this pasta dish – and everything from scratch too. Great job!
Amy
Thank you, Byron! My family loved the walnut balls. They said the texture and flavor was much better than store-bought veggie balls.
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way
What a beautiful dish! One thing about the Carribean cuisine is that it contains a rainbow of colors in it. I love the peppers and pasta with anything wins me over. This is the type of dish I’d fall in love with. Thank you for all of the information.
Amy
Thank you, Marisa! I agree, the colors are beautiful.
Stephanie@ApplesforCJ
This dish sounds amazing with the walnut balls! I’ve experimented a lot with vegetarian/vegan meatballs but never used any walnuts. Need to give this a try soon and it’s so pretty as well. Maybe I can add this to my collection of weekend recipes 🙂
Amy
I think you will really like it, Stephanie! The walnut balls have a really good flavor and texture.
Pam Wattenbarger
I am not vegan, but I love eating meatless meals whenever I can. This one sounds delicious! It has more ingredients than I like to work with on a weeknight, so this would be a weekend meal for me.
Amy
I agree, it’s a lot of ingredients, Pam! But it’s manageable on the weekends.
Veena Azmanov
This is so colorful. I had to read again to realize that these balls are vegetarian. I have never tried Jamaican food but I bet I’d love it. Looks so delish!!
Amy
Thanks Veena! I think meat-eaters would enjoy these walnut balls, too!
Megan Marlowe
I happen to really love Caribbean cooking but rarely cook it at home. This cookbook and Rasta Pasta looks divine! The sauce sounds awesome and those meatballs look great!
Amy
I think you would really like it, Megan! Caribbean cooking is new to me, and I’m excited to try more recipes.
Sarah @ Champagne Tastes
I wish there were some good veggie places to eat at when I went to the Caribbean! I swear I survived on nasty veggie burgers the whole trip lol. This sounds delicious!
Amy
That’s so funny, Sarah! The only time I went I stayed at Club Med. All I remember eating was fruit, salad, and French bread.
Noel Lizotte
I think it’s the peppers! They grab my eye too!
or maybe it’s the name … Rasta Pasta … I’m going to be singing that over and over …
whichever, this recipe looks fabulous and I can see why you attempted it on a weeknight – too good to pass up!
Amy
Thanks Noel! It is a really delicious recipe!
Sara @ Modern Little Victories
There’s a lot going on in this recipe but it all looks and sounds so good!! This would be great for a Sunday meal!
Amy
I agree, it’s perfect for Sunday dinner!
Hanady | Recipe Nomad
Oh this looks so good! I might have to stop st the last chapter and make a drink before I make the pasta! But the sound of Jamaican jerky pasta really makes my mouth water!
Amy
That is such a great idea, Hanady! 🙂
Adriana Lopez Martn
wow those vegetarian walnut meatballs look very tantalizing I need to taste them soon, and the pasta is a divine version seriously I am drooling now
Amy
Thank you Adriana!
Sophia | Veggies Don't Bite
I love pasta!! I especially love trying new kinds out. Looks delicious!
Amy
Thanks Sophia!
Priya Srinivasan
Wowie that is one healthy and hearty bowl!! Love that walnut balls, very tempting!!
Amy
Thanks Priya! The walnut balls are amazing!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan
Never thought that a vegetarian meat ball would look that good and just like regular meatballs. My boys beg me to make meatballs and this would be a good recipe to make for them since we are vegetarians. Lovely flavors in the recipe!
Amy
Thank you, Sandhya! I think your family will really enjoy these walnut meatballs.
Becky Striepe
Man, I have got to get my hands on this book! That pasta looks amazing, Amy!
Amy
Thanks Becky! I think you’ll enjoy this book!
Natalie | Natalie's Food & Health
Oh, my… that’s one colorful plate that could bright any gloomy winter day. Just what I needed, to be honest 🙂 Sounds so delicious and just yummy. Love the sauce and spices you used here. Sharing this and pinning to try.
Amy
Thank you, Natalie! It definitely puts me in an Island mood. 🙂
Linda @ Veganosity
I love the name of this dish. It looks delicious!
Amy
Thank you, Linda!
Julie | Bunsen Burner Bakery
Those walnut balls sound amazing! I’m always trying to come up with more ways to work nuts into my toddler’s diet, which is a little hard since he doesn’t have enough teeth yet to eat raw nuts. This looks like a great idea!
Amy
These would definitely work since they are soft. You can leave out the jerk seasoning so that they aren’t spicy.
Jenn
This looks and sounds so good! And I love the name Rasta Pasta! Fun! I bet these walnut balls freeze really well, so you could totally make these on a weekend and then freeze them until you’re ready to eat a quick pasta dish on a weekday! Boom!
Amy
That’s a great idea, Jenn! I was also thinking of cooking them in the air fryer next time.
Cadry
Yum! This looks very hearty & colorful!
Amy
Thank you, Cadry!
Uma Srinivas
Yum..This looks very delicious…My mouth is watering right now:)
Amy
Thank you, Uma!
Molly Kumar
I’ve recently tried some homecooked Jamaican food at a friends place and loved the flavors. This pasta is absolutely spot on, the flavors sounds amazing and it looks so hearty.
Amy
Thank you, Molly! I haven’t had Jamaican food myself, but if it’s anything like this pasta, I’m a fan!
Anjali @ Vegetarian Gastronomy
I love the idea of walnut balls in this pasta! makes it nice and filling and healthy!
Amy
Thanks Anjali! Walnut balls for the win!