Recently I welcomed Tara Punzone to my home kitchen to show me how to prepare her scrumptious Pesto Cavatelli. Punzone is the celebrated vegan chef behind Pura Vita, the 100% plant-based Italian restaurant and wine bar in West Hollywood. Her new cookbook, “Vegana Italiana” (Rodale), is a lively celebration of old-world Italian flavors transformed to be entirely plant-based.

Happily, even without the classic use of Parmigiano Reggiano, her Pesto Cavatelli was delicious. Every bite was enthusiastically consumed before she packed up her gear and headed home. In addition to fresh basil, olive oil, almonds, and garlic, her pesto was spiked with nutritional yeast and lemon juice. A crunchy crumble garnish was made using nutritional yeast, raw macadamia nuts and salt.

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Vegan Pesto Cavatelli

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

Pinch of sea salt, plus 2 tablespoons for the pasta water

Pinch of ground black pepper

2 cups basil pesto; see cook’s notes

1 pound cavatelli

Garnish: Macadamia “Parmigiano” — 1 cup raw, unsalted macadamia nuts, 1 cup nutritional yeast, 1 teaspoon sea salt

Cook’s notes: To prepare the basil pesto, place 4 cups packed basil leaves, 1 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast, 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes in a high-speed blender and blend until well combined. Store leftovers in an air-tight jar in the refrigerator.

DIRECTIONS

In a large pot, bring 4 to 6 quarts of water to a rolling boil.

Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet over medium to medium-low heat, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic, cherry tomatoes, pinch of salt, and pepper; cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the pesto sauce and continue to cook over medium-low heat.

Add 2 tablespoons salt to the boiling water. Add the cavatelli and cook until very al dente, a little more than half of the recommended cooking time. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cavatelli to the skillet and add 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water to the mix. Continue to cook the cavatelli in the sauce, tossing around the pasta until it absorbs all the water and it perfectly al dente. Check to make sure the cavatelli does not overcook. Add more pasta water if needed.

Meanwhile, make the Macadamia “Parmigiano”: Place 1 cup raw, unsalted macadamia nuts, 1 cup nutritional yeast, and 1 teaspoon sea salt in a high-speed blender or food processor. Pulse until the mixture has the consistency of a fine crumble. Do not overprocess into a paste. (Store leftovers in an airtight container.)

Garnish each serving with Macadamia “Parmigiano.”

Yield: 2 to 4 servings

Source: “Vegana Italiana” by Tara Punzone with Gene Stone (Rodale)

To watch Chef Punzone prepare her Pesto Cavatelli in Cathy Thomas’ kitchen, go to CathyThomasCooks.com.