Book Launch: Vegana Italiana by Tara Punzone

Book Launch: Vegana Italiana by Tara Punzone

Monday Dec 08, 2025
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

POWERHOUSE Arena
28 Adams Street (Corner of Adams & Water Street across from the Archway)
Brooklyn , NY 11201

Get Tickets Here!

About the Book.

Discover the delicious flavors of plant-based Italian cooking with more than 100 vegan recipes inspired by classic Italian dishes, from the owner and chef of Pura Vita

“Part love letter to Italy, part encyclopedia of plant-based technique, Vegana Italiana is a joyous celebration of food, family, and heart. I want to make everything in this book!”—Joanne Molinaro, New York Times bestselling author of The Korean Vegan

Ever wish you could whip up vegan versions of fresh cheese ravioli or meatballs? As the owner and chef behind the first 100% plant-based Italian restaurant in the United States, Tara Punzone knows how to transform classic Italian staples into delicious vegan dishes without sacrificing any flavor. Growing up in a big Italian family in New York, food was always at the heart of Punzone’s community and gatherings. Her debut cookbook, Vegana Italiana, offers more than 100 vegan Italian recipes inspired by her family’s meals and fan-favorites from her Los Angeles-based restaurant Pura Vita.

When Punzone decided to go vegan when she was twelve years old, she learned how to follow a vegan lifestyle without compromising her traditions, heritage, or love of bold flavors, and this cookbook shares her tips to help you do the same, while also embracing new techniques and flavors along the way. She also shares her personal stories and memories from growing up in New York and moving to California as well as the culinary inspiration she received from her family.

With tips for stocking your pantry and strategies to replicate Italian essentials like mozzarella and ricotta cheese, Vegana Italiana includes delicious recipes like:

• The Basics: Macadamia Parmigiano, Alfredo Sauce, and Roasted Garlic Aioli
• Antipasti: Bruschetta, Garlic Parmigiano Potato Wedges, and Strawberry Almond Ricotta Crostini
• Insalata e Verdure: Caprese, Peppas, and Stuffed Artichokes
• Soups and Stews: Minestrone, Sicilian Red Lentil, and Roasted Garlic Creamy Tomato Soup
• Pasta: Ravioli Pomodoro, Pesto Calabrese, and Cacio e Pepe
• Secondi: Eggplant Parmigiana, Meatball Parmigiano Hero, and Heartbeet Risotto
• Dolci: Tiramisu, Panna Cotta, and Lemon Mint Granita

Complete with gorgeous full-color photography taken at Pura Vita, Vegana Italiana is your ultimate guide to vegan Italian cooking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author. 

Tara Punzone is the founder of the award-winning Pura Vita restaurants in Los Angeles. Pura
Vita is the first 100% Plant-Based Italian Restaurant and Wine Bar in the USA. A trailblazer in
vegan Italian cuisine, Tara has been featured in Bon Appétit, Eater, and the Los Angeles Times.
Chef Tara Punzone grew up in an Italian American home in New York, and has thrived on a
vegan diet for over 35 years. Her passion for healthy southern Italian food has been evolving
since her childhood when she made the decision to adopt a vegan lifestyle. It was then Tara
began converting all her family’s traditional dishes to vegan versions of the same, without
compromise. Vegana Italiana is her first book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gene Stone – A graduate of Stanford and Harvard, Gene Stone (www.genestone.com) is a
former Peace Corps volunteer and newspaper editor for such companies as the Los Angeles
Times, Esquire, and Simon & Schuster. He has written more than a dozen books under his own

name on a wide variety of subjects and has also ghostwritten or co-written another thirty-five
books for a very diverse lot of people, many of which have been national bestsellers. However,
for the past fifteen years he has concentrated mainly on writing or ghostwriting books about
plant-based diets and their relationship to animal protection, health, and the environment. Among
these books are such titles as Forks Over Knives, 72 Reasons to Be Vegan, How Not to Die,
Living the Farm Sanctuary Life, Eat for the Planet, The Engine 2 Diet, and Animalkind.