Rasta pumpkin pasta

Creamy, vibrant, zingy – and entirely vegan

“Taking inspiration from traditional Rasta pasta which uses cheeses, we’ve created a vegan alternative with our creamy pumpkin sauce,” explain Craig and Shaun McAnuff – the brothers behind Original Flava. “Roasting the pumpkin with garlic and chilli helps give the sauce a zingy jump, before it’s thickened in the pan to the creamiest sauce you’ll see! Give this one a go – it’s super-quick, easy and delicious.”

Ingredients (Serves 6-8)

500g pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and diced 1 whole garlic bulb 1 scotch bonnet or chilli pepper, deseeded and chopped Olive oil, for cooking 200g coconut yoghurt Leaves of 2 rosemary sprigs 6 fresh thyme sprigs or 1tsp dried thyme 1 vegan stock cube 1 x 400ml can coconut milk 1tbsp golden syrup 500g dried penne pasta 1 onion, sliced 1 red bell pepper, deseeded and sliced 1 green bell pepper, deseeded and sliced 1 yellow bell pepper, deseeded and sliced 1tbsp jerk paste Salt and freshly ground black pepper Handful of parsley, chopped, to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C Fan/190°C/Gas 5. Place a sheet of baking parchment on a baking tray. Add the diced pumpkin or squash, garlic bulb and scotch bonnet or chilli, then sprinkle two tablespoons of olive oil and one teaspoon each of salt and black pepper on it and mix together. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes until cooked through and starting to caramelise.

2. Leave to cool for five minutes, then dash into a blender, squeezing the soft garlic cloves out of their papery skins. Add the yoghurt, rosemary and thyme and crumble in the stock cube. Add half the coconut milk, the syrup, salt to taste and a splash of water. Blend together until smooth.

3. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the packet instructions, then drain.

4. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat two tablespoons of olive oil until hot. Add the onion and bell peppers and sauté for five minutes until soft, then add in the blended pumpkin sauce, remaining coconut milk and jerk paste. Stir, then simmer, uncovered, for five minutes until thickened.

5. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and combine well to coat. Add a sprinkling of parsley and enjoy.