Spicy Vegetarian Noodle Recipe (2024)

This Rasta Pasta is not just for cozy sweaters, you can enjoy this dish any day and any time during the year. Thisnoodle dish is made with sautéed bell peppers, mixed in a creamy sauce, then finished off with fresh tomatoes and grated parmesan cheese.

Restaurant-quality pasta that’s easy to make at home.

With a slight kick from the homemade jerk seasoning and the creaminess in the sauce, this Rasta Pasta dish will have you feeling the island vibes from the very first bite.

WHAT’S RASTA PASTA?

Pasta is on constant rotation in our home, especially during the cold winter days and nights. It’s about time we bring out the comfortable pants and long sleeve shirts.

My family loves it when a hearty pasta dish is served for dinner.

This Rasta Pasta dish is made with our (spicy) jerk seasoning. Yes, it can be made spicy or mild.

You can also purchase the dry jerk seasoning blend at the local grocery store as well.

The pasta is often paired with shrimp, chicken, and sometimes beef bites.

The Rasta pasta ingredients in this dish bring the succulent flavors of the Caribbean to your home.

With this dish, if you do not want to make it vegetarian, you can add any meat or seafood. This dish is often served withshrimp.

But this vegetarian version is as delicious as any noodle dish you would get from any restaurant.

This mildly spicy pasta has theperfect level of spice, whilst absolutelyoverflowing with flavor. It’seasy to prepare,it is creamy,hearty,anddelicious!

THE BEST SPICY PASTA RECIPE

This recipe has become a favorite in our home. It has become a recent obsession of the family, and we can literally eat it all day long.

Plus, it is probably one of the few dishes my husband would not notice the absence of meat. Here’s why I think you’ll love it as much as we do:

• Filled with flavor– The sauce is bursting with flavor from the jerk seasoning.
• Cheesy / Tomatoes– The combination of the tomatoes and the cheesy sauce work so well together. The grape tomatoes are juicy and add an extra depth of flavor!
• Perfect For Date Night– I don’t know about you, but we have not had a proper date night in so long, this recipe is great for a cozy dinner with red wine.

DON’T SACRIFICE THE FLAVOR

The recipe starts with seasoned pasta. To ensure you get the most out of your dish, start by seasoning it with salt and pepper the pasta the minute you start to cook it.

This gives the pasta a nice nudge from the very start.

SPICY CREAMY SAUCE VARIATIONS

As stated above, this sauce can easily turn into a protein meal. Consider using the following suggestions below.

• Use boneless chicken
• Usebeef tips.
• Usejackfruitas a substitute for meat (vegan).
• Use salmon.
• Use mixed vegetables andgreens.
• Use chickpeas.

MAKE IT CREAMY

The Rasta pasta ingredients can be very versatile. If you do not want to add cheese to the sauce, that’s perfectly fine.

You can omit the cheese and opt for a saucy sauce instead.

To thicken the sauce, we recommend using heavy cream in conjunction with the pasta water. You may also use half-and-half, which is totally optional.

Going that route, I recommend using probably about 1 cup heavy cream (to make it extra thick), or ½ cup of half-and-half.

OR, if you don’t want it creamy at all, that’s perfectly fine. This pasta was quite delicious without the creamer and or cheese. However, the creaminess does balance the heat very well.

The sauce in this pasta recipe will naturally thicken because of the starch from the pasta.

If the sauce is too thick, add extra liquid (milk, creamer, or half-and-half), about ¼ cup increments until smooth and silky, or to your liking.

Once the pasta is well coated with the cheese and spinach. Remove the pasta from the heat, top with tomatoes, serve and enjoy.

PREPARE EXTRA SAUCE

If you want to take this pasta dish to the next level, consider adding mushrooms.

The mushroom will add a meaty texture/component to the dish.

Mushrooms absorb water and flavor like sponges, proper cleaning is essential when it comes to cleaning mushrooms.

Be mindful that mushrooms have a lot of water; therefore, water will release as they cook, but will quickly be evaporated as they continue to cook.

If you want to use mushrooms in this meal, consider the following mushrooms to use:

• Oyster Mushrooms– If you have never had oyster mushrooms, you are in for a treat. These mushrooms take no time to cook. They are perfect for stir-fries.Oyster mushrooms have a mild seafood flavorand they are very popular in Asian recipes. They also work well when paired withdumplingsor stew like thispigeon stewrecipe.

• White Button Mushrooms— These mushrooms are mildly flavored. They are cleaner than most and fresh.They are perfect in salads. They absorb as much flavor as any other mushroom. They are also great in pizza and inmarinara sauce.

• Trumpet Royale (King Trumpet)— This type of mushroom is often used by chefs because of its firm meaty texture. Trumpet mushroom has a savory flavor. They are great in creamy sauce and pair well with parmesan cheese.

• Cremini— This is a versatile mushroom with many flavors, even more so than white mushrooms. These are actually known as baby Portabellas. The mushrooms are best for grilling, especially when paired with vegetables.

HOW TO MAKE SPICY JERK SEASONING

Here’s what you’ll need to make this seasoning.

• 1tbspgarlic powder
• 1tbspcinnamon
• 1tbspallspice
• 1tbspsmoked paprika
• 1tbspnutmeg
• 1tbspcayenne pepper
• 1tbspdried parsley
• 1tbspwhite pepperor black pepper
• 1tbspcumin
• 1tbspsavory
• 2tspkosher salt
• 1tspground cloves
• 1tspbrown sugar

COOK’S TOP TIPS

• I like to have fresh spinach in this sauce instead of frozen spinach. Frozen spinach will release water and will complicate the thickness of the sauce and dish.
• It’s best to use freshly grated parmesan cheese.
• It’s best to sauté the vegetables first instead of adding them to the pasta sauce directly.
• This recipe will work with any pasta such as rotini, farfalle, and rigatoni.

• You can substitute the heavy cream, or milk with coconut milk. Be mindful that this will alter the taste and flavor.
• Follow the directions on the package to cook the pasta, however, remove the pot from the stove when the pasta is cooked al dente (firm to the bite). The pasta will finish cooking in the sauce.

Frequently Asked Questions

PASTA VARIATIONS

The beauty of this pasta dish is that there is no special rule. You can add all different kinds of toppings to your pasta to make it your own.

• Protein: feel free to add meat, chickpeas, or even tofu.
• Vegetables: consider adding broccoli, mixed vegetables, or frozen peas.
• Herbs: this pasta is great with fresh herbs like parsley or thyme. Other great options include green onions, basil, or chives. Remember to make this recipe your own.

HAITIAN FOOD RECIPES TO PAIR WITH THIS PASTA

Although this spicy pasta recipe tastes great as is, consider adding about 1 tablespoon of theHaitian Epis (seasoning)to the sauce.

This will elevate the pasta sauce further. And if you would like to add a protein to accompany it, I would strongly recommend the poulet en sauce.

MORE PASTA DISHES YOU’LL LOVE

If you love this spicy penne recipe; next, try any one of the following recipes listed below:

Macaroni Au Gratin

Pesto Gnocchi

Haitian Spaghetti

Spaghetti Squash Boat

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