Joanne Lee Molinaro’s Vegan Pecan Paht Pie

At The Sunday Paper, we want to inspire you to gather at your table—virtually or with friends and family—and open your heart and mind to conversations that will move the needle. After all, the dinner table is where we connect on topics and map out the changes we can all make that’ll really move the needle.

Meet our Sunday Paper Chef: Joanne Lee Molinaro

Learn about her mission: Joanne Lee Molinaro is a lawyer and a TikTok and Instagram sensation known for her popular blog The Korean Vegan. She started her blog in 2016, after adopting a plant-based diet. In July 2020, she started her TikTok (@thekoreanvegan), mostly as a coping mechanism for the isolation caused by the global pandemic. She began posting content related to politics and life as a lawyer during quarantine. However, after a single post of her making Korean braised potatoes for dinner (while her husband taught a piano lesson in the background) went viral, Molinaro shifted her attention to producing 60 second recipe videos, while telling stories about her family—immigrants from what is now known as North Korea. Her new cookbook is The Korean Vegan Cookbook: Reflections and Recipes from Omma’s Kitchen.

Our Conversation Starter: This week, Maria and Joanne talked about being a good daughter and understanding the Korean American experience. What does it mean to you to be a good daughter or son? And how does this impact your life?

Watch Maria and Joanne’s Conversation here:

Joanne’s Recipe: PECAN PAHT (피칸팥파이 • Sweet Red Bean) PIE

SERVES 8 TO 10

DIFFICULTY: Medium

ALLERGENS: GFO

One Thanksgiving I decided I wanted to make pecan pie that my family would actually eat. We’re not fans of overly sweet desserts, but my father absolutely loves pecans. The answer to creating a less cloyingly sweet filling was simple—paht! Not only is the red bean paste far less sugar-y than the typical custard-like filling of a traditional pecan pie, I knew my family would instantly appreciate the familiar flavor. I presented my little pie that Thanksgiving, and since then, I have been asked to make it every year.

FOR THE PIE CRUST

1½ cups (210g) all-purpose flour (see Note)

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

⅔ cup (152g) cold vegan butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

FOR THE PIE FILLING AND TOPPING

¾ cup (300g) brown rice syrup

6 tablespoons soy or oat milk

1 cup (320g) paht

¼ cup (50g) light brown sugar

4 tablespoons (57g) vegan butter, melted and cooled

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups (220g) chopped pecans

3½ tablespoons (35g) potato starch

1 cup (110g) pecan halves

1. Make the pie crust: In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, and salt and pulse while adding the butter, a few pieces at a time. Add the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until a dough starts to form.
2. Shape the dough into a ball. Do not handle more than necessary. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but best if overnight.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
4. Make the pie filling and topping: In a medium bowl, combine the brown rice syrup, soy milk, paht, brown sugar, melted butter, salt, vanilla, chopped pecans, and potato starch.
5. Place the pie dough between two sheets of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, roll out the pie dough gently until it is large enough to line a 9-inch pie pan. Ease the crust into the pan and trim any excess dough at the edges with kitchen shears or a sharp paring knife. Pour in the filling. Top the filling with pecan halves.
6. Transfer the pie to the oven and bake until the pie filling sets (i.e., doesn’t jiggle too much), 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool the pie on a wire rack for 2 hours before serving.

Excerpted from Korean Vegan Cookbook, Copyright © 2021 by Joanne Lee Molinaro. Published by Avery, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.