Vegan Caramelized Shallot Pasta

Alison Roman’s Caramelized Shallot Pasta (a.k.a. “The Pasta”) gets its umami richness from salty whole anchovy filets. I use Oceans Halo Vegan Fish Sauce instead, a splash adds a unique salty depth that satisfies my whole family. This is arguably one of my favorite dishes, and I don’t typically like fishy foods.

I am addicted to the topping that Alison recommends in the original recipe—finely chopped garlic, parsley, and salt. I don’t necessarily use it instead of parmesan, since they go so well together. I do however serve this without cheese for my vegan friends and it is just as delicious. This dish is a textbook crowd pleaser.

The caramelized shallot/tomato paste mixture can be used all at once, or stored and used later. Use as much or as little as you like, it is easy to incorporate more if needed.

I suggest ordering Vegan Fish Sauce from Oceans Halo if you can’t find it in-store. If you like to make foods that require fish sauce or oyster sauce this is an incredible substitute. I typically omit seafood ingredients but this has such a rich flavor I find myself using it pretty often.

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5-7 shallots, sliced thin

7 cloves of garlic, minced

1-2 tbsp vegan fish sauce

1-2 tsp red pepper flakes

kosher salt

16 oz. linguine or bucatini

1 tube tomato paste

1 cup parsley, chopped

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

freshly ground pepper

Mise en place: chop parsley, garlic, and thinly slice shallots. This will make assembly and plating much easier.

1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sautee shallots until caramelized, around 15 minutes. Lower the heat slightly to avoid burning. Season with salt and pepper. Add half of the garlic and stir frequently to avoid burning. Heat until fragrant.

2. Add fish sauce, red pepper flakes, and some more salt and pepper. Squeeze out the entire tube of tomato paste and mash together into an even paste. Stir frequently to prevent burning. Cook for about 3 minutes. on Medium/Medium-Low. Set this mixture aside in a heat-proof bowl.

3. Cook pasta until al dente, about 1 minute less than the package instructs. Reserve about a cup of pasta water before draining. Add at least half of the tomato-shallot mixture to the empty pot and dilute with a splash of pasta water. Return the pasta to the pot and incorporate. If the sauce seems thin, add more of the mixture. If it is too thick, add more pasta water. Add about 1/4 cup of fresh parsley and toss.

4. To serve, mix together the remaining garlic, parsley, and a pinch of salt in a clean bowl. Mix until well combined. Plate your pasta and serve with the garlic-parsley topping.