Vegana Italiana: Reimagining Italian Classics with Chef Tara Punzone and Gene Stone
In Episode 123 of the Kitchen Confidante Podcast, Liren Baker talks with Chef Tara Punzone and author Gene Stone about their collaboration on Vegana Italiana cookbook and the process of turning instinct-driven recipes into something home cooks can follow with ease.
Vegana Italiana — with Chef Tara Punzone & Gene Stone
On the podcast, I recently chatted with Chef Tara Punzone and Gene Stone. As a native New Yorker, Chef Tara brought her Italian American roots and love of vegan cooking to Los Angeles, where she opened Pura Vita in West Hollywood—the first 100% plant-based Italian restaurant in the country.
She has now teamed up with acclaimed writer Gene Stone, whom you may know from Forks Over Knives, 72 Reasons to Be Vegan, How Not to Die, and many other bestselling books he has written or co-written. Together, they’ve created Vegana Italiana: Traditional Italian the Plant-Based Way, a celebration of Italian classics reimagined without meat or dairy, and without ever sacrificing flavor.
In this episode, we chat about how they joined forces to write the book, Chef Tara’s journey to vegan Italian cooking, and the process of turning instinct-driven recipes into something home cooks can follow with ease.
Listen to the full episode or keep reading for some of the highlights from our conversation.
How Did You Get Started Cooking and Writing Vegan Recipes?
Chef Tara:
I’ve been cooking with my family ever since I was little. Every Sunday morning, my grandmother handed me a giant bag of garlic and a tiny knife. She would make sauce and my job was to prep the garlic. I always smelled like garlic, but I loved being in the kitchen. The first dish I ever cooked was probably pasta or something simple.
I became vegetarian at age 10 and vegan a few years later. My family was supportive, but they didn’t always know what to cook for me, so I cooked with them all the time. We’re a loud, silly family, and figuring out how to make the dishes I grew up with in a vegan way was so much fun.
“I didn’t want to choose between my culture and being vegan—I wanted the best of both worlds.” —Chef Tara
Cheese was the biggest challenge, but learning how nuts could replicate that creamy texture opened up a whole new world. Once I mastered vegan versions that actually tasted good, I wanted to share them beyond my own family.
In Italian cooking, there are so many beautiful vegetables, like a variety of greens, beans, roasted peppers, and artichokes. Italians know how to highlight vegetables without overcomplicating them. A little olive oil, salt, and a good roast highlight the vegetables’ natural flavors—and they’re so delicious!
When I spent time in Rome and southern Italy, it was surprisingly easy to find vegan or vegan-adaptable food, even if the dishes weren’t explicitly labeled as “vegan.”
Gene:
I’m a writer—not a cook. Growing up, the only thing I was allowed to make was a box of instant brownies every New Year’s Eve. They were always inedible because I couldn’t follow directions.
Pura Vita opened in 2018, and people constantly asked if there was a cookbook. Tara always wanted to write one, and once the restaurant was running smoothly, she reached out to me to write with her.
Funny enough, Pura Vita is just three blocks from my home, and I was already a regular. I was intimidated at first—Tara seemed like a fierce Brooklyn chef with red hair and tattoos—but she turned out to be the nicest person I’ve ever met and it was a joy to write this book with her.
Tell Us More About Your Book, Vegana Italiana
Chef Tara:
The tuna salad sandwich was the first recipe I ever wrote professionally. My mom made the best tuna sandwiches growing up, and I wanted to recreate recipes like that. For me, it was really the texture that mattered, not the fish. I wanted to recreate that experience without using fish.
Another one of my favorites is the stuffed artichoke. I’ve made it for every family holiday since I was 14. It looks complicated because there are a lot of steps, but every step is super easy. I never actually write down or follow recipes, so Gene helped me write down every step.
The book reflects everything we wanted: recipes rooted in Italian tradition, made vegan, and approachable for every cook. The recipes are less about recreating meat or cheese, and more about a clean-eating approach to traditional Italian cuisine that lets the vegetables and pasta shine.
Gene:
Tara doesn’t follow or write recipes, so getting everything out of her head, onto the page, and adapted for home cooking was a big part of this project. The book has a great range—from beginner-friendly dishes to more involved recipes—and everything is written to be approachable and delicious at home.
“Getting Tara’s recipes out of her head and onto the page was an adventure, but the result is something everyone can enjoy.” —Gene
Vegana Italiana: Traditional Italian the Plant-Based Way, by Tara Punzone with Gene Stone (Rodale, 2025).
Learn more
Listen to the full podcast episode with Chef Tara and Gene here. You can learn more at puravitalosangeles.com and follow Chef Tara on Instagram @cheftarapunzone.
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COOKBOOK
Chef Tara brought her Italian American roots and love of vegan cooking to Los Angeles, where she opened Pura Vita in West Hollywood—the first 100% plant-based Italian restaurant in the country.