Vegan Rasta Pasta Recipe (Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Sheet Pan Meal)

This vegan Rasta Pasta recipe is a favorite recipe that I was inspired to make from a dish I had at a restaurant. I first had Rasta Pasta at an amazing restaurant called The Red Parrot in Newport, Rhode Island, right on the corner of Thames Street and America’s Cup Avenue. If you’re driving down the main drag of Newport along the wharf, you can’t miss it! It’s been a whole year since I’ve been to Newport (thanks to the pandemic) but I always take any out of town guests there to visit. The amazing gilded age mansions in Newport are always decked for the holidays, Doing all 7 miles of Cliff Walk in the summer is divine, and you gotta get yourself a lobster roll while you’re there.

Actually, while I was in my last semester doing my masters degree in Library Science, I did some freelance work in Newport, RI. I worked for a private rare books collector cataloguing his collection of rare books and manuscripts. It was a wild job, and also one of the coolest experiences I’ve been able to have professionally. I worked in downtown Newport in a private library, right down the street from The Red Parrot, where I first had this Rasta Pasta (it all ties together, I swear). I lived on the other side of the bridge in Narragansett at the time, so I’d drive across the huge Pell Bridge everyday to work. I was finishing up grad school and also working 3 other jobs at the time, but what a neat opportunity! I have a really great memory of going to the Red Parrot for the first time with my mom when she was visiting and my boyfriend (now hubby!) Brett, where I first had the Rasta Pasta on the menu. If you’re ever in Newport RI (or planning to go) let me know! I’d love to share some of my favorite places, I should write a lil travel guide about it someday. It’s one of the most gorgeous places in New England, and full of history… and amazing food!

• Penne Pasta: You can use this great gluten free penne, which I used for this recipe… or any medium sized pasta you like! I chose the penne because it’s roughly the same size as the chopped peppers.
• Olive Oil: I like to use this fruity Zoe olive oil which has a fantastic flavor and deep color- it’s really inexpensive online here, so I keep a few liters stocked up in my pantry. For the quality of oil you get, it’s an excellent value, I would highly recommend!
• Bell Peppers: red, yellow, and green sliced into strips. If you don’t have fresh peppers, these sweet roasted red peppers are a great substitute! I love adding them to breakfast bakes, sandwiches or wraps, and soups… and they are so delish in this pasta.
• Onion
• Diced Tomatoes: I only use no salt added diced tomatoes, these boxed tomatoes are really great to stock up on! I like boxed tomatoes better because they are BPA free and more eco-friendly than aluminum cans.
• Garlic: I use fresh garlic when I have it, and this great jarred organic garlic when I don’t have fresh. It’s actually super convenient to have pre-chopped garlic on hand for quick and easy meal prep.
• Cherry tomatoes
• Jamaican Jerk Seasoning: to give it an authentic ‘Rasta Pasta feel – I like McCormick spices Jerk seasoning best
• Salt and pepper to taste

If you read this blog regularly, you know I love sheet pan recipes. They are easy to make, simple to toss in the oven and bake, and you only have one dish to clean at the end of the night. Huge fan of sheet pan meals, right here! This sauce cooks all together in one sheet pan, and you cook the pasta separately. So in 30 minutes you have a simple, healthy, and delicious meal for the family… with little to clean up later. You can check out my other sheet pan pasta recipes here on The Herbeevore for some fun one-pan recipe inspo.

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour the olive oil on the sheet pan and add the bell pepper, onion, fresh tomatoes, garlic, diced tomatoes, and jerk seasoning. Toss with your hands until the vegetables are coated in the olive oil and spices.
2. Bake vegetables for 30 minutes, flipping halfway during cooking.
3. While the vegetables are in the oven, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and place the pasta back into the pot. Set aside.
4. Remove vegetables from oven, and place over the pasta. Cook over low heat until gently simmering, and serve hot.

As always, if you make this vegan and gluten free sheet pan rasta pasta recipe be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe, and tag me @theherbeevore on Instagram so I can feature you. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!

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