VEGAN REMIX: JON + VINNY’S SPICY FUSILLI

If you live in LA, you’ve very likely had or at least heard of the legendary Jon + Vinny’s Spicy Fusilli. I, along with many others, have long touted it as a favorite meal in town – but when I went vegan I no longer could order it because the sauce is, of course, loaded with dairy. Tragic! I wasn’t willing to give up one of my favorite meals, though – so I set out to create a vegan spicy fusilli recipe of my own.

What if I told you that you could replicate this dreamy, decadent dish with NO CREAM, NO BUTTER, NO CHOLESTEROL, and not sacrifice any of the flavor and richness?

I adapted the recipe from Aleksandra Crapanzano’s Eat. Cook. L.A., which was the closest thing I’ve found to the O.G. Jon + Vinny’s recipe. All I did was swap the heavy cream and butter out for plant-based ingredients, and I have to say, the results were incredible.

In lieu of heavy cream, I used a combination of coconut and almond milk, which actually made for such a perfectly balanced dairy replacement (the coconut milk was subtle yet added this unexpected sweetness that I actually think made the flavor that much better). And instead of dairy-based butter, I used my favorite Miyoko’s European Style Vegan Butter, which is, honestly, even better than the real thing – it’s rich, creamy, and accomplishes everything traditional butter does, and then some.

I hope you love this vegan spicy fusilli recipe as much as I did. If there are any other quintessential LA restaurant dishes you’d like to see a vegan remix of, drop me a line in the comment section below. Next up: the La Scala chopped salad, perhaps?!

P.S. – if you haven’t checked it out yet, head to Ryan’s post on the 6 Best Vegan Breakfast Burritos in LA. I personally have to give the #1 spot to Bardonna, but I think it’s worth making the rounds and deciding for yourself.

Vegan Jon + Vinny’s Spicy Fusilli Recipe (Vodka Pasta Sauce)

Recipe by Anjelica Price-Rocha

4.6 from 21 votes

Course: DinnerCuisine: Italian

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

This vegan spicy fusilli recipe (with a simple vegan vodka pasta sauce) is my take on the world famous Jon + Vinny’s version that’s loaded with dairy. I wasn’t giving up one of my favorite meals, so I created this twist on a vegan spicy fusilli recipe of my own, that I hope you enjoy as much as I do!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 1 shallot, minced

• 12 oz tomato paste

• 2 tbsp vodka

• 1 cup full-fat coconut milk

• 3/4 cup almond milk

• 1/2 cup butter (I highly recommend using Miyoko’s)

• 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes (more to taste)

• Pinch of salt

• Fresh ground pepper (to taste)

• 1/2 pound fusilli

• 2 stalks basil leaves, roughly chopped

Directions

• Let’s make this sauce! To start, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pan then add the garlic and shallots and saute until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and allow to cook on medium-low heat for 10 minutes or so. Then, turn up the heat to high, add the vodka and – if you’re feeling adventurous – use a long-stick match or electric lighter to flambé! Allow the vodka to sizzle out on its own. Turn the heat back down to medium-low once the vodka is absorbed. Finally, add the coconut milk, almond milk, butter, and whisk to combine. Continue to let the sauce cook for another 10-15 minutes on medium-low. Stir in the pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper, and adjust as necessary.
• Cook the fusilli according to the brand’s instructions (you could always use a gluten-free fusilli, too) to reach al dente. Strain, leaving at least one cup of pasta water aside.
• Add the al dente pasta to the sauce and stir to combine evenly. If you’d like the sauce to be a bit thinner, this is where you can slowly add in some pasta water OR almond milk – I like my sauce nice and creamy though, so I skipped this step.
• Fold in the chopped basil and check the seasonings once more before serving. Garnish with fresh basil and red pepper flakes to taste.

Notes

• Feel free to top this off with non-dairy parmesan, fresh oregano, or whatever suits your fancy! I’m a bit of a purist with this dish and love it as-is, though 🙂