Meatless Monday - The 21st Century Housewife's Tofu Pesto Pasta

Tofu is often associated with Asian or fusion recipes, but I find it works really well in Italian dishes too. This recipe is proper comfort food - tasty and warming on cool autumn nights. It couldn’t be easier to prepare, and if you use whole wheat pasta it is even more nutritious.

In all honestly, I’m still slowly coming to grips with tofu - it is something I enjoy eating but am still not a hundred percent sure about cooking with. I rely on the pre-marinated variety for most of my recipes as I find it less intimidating to prepare, but there is absolutely no reason not to use the kind you have to press and drain if you are braver than I am!

To serve four to six adults you need:-

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 red pepper, de-seeded and sliced

1 cup of mushrooms, sliced

1 cup of frozen peas, thawed a little if you have time

(or any other green vegetable of your choice - green beans work well here)

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cup of chopped or sliced tofu

(Do be sure that your brand of tofu is not made with genetically modified soy!!)

1 lb of pasta (I use whole wheat penne)

3 or 4 generous tablespoons basil pesto (homemade is lovely, but from a jar is okay too, just be sure that it is made with vegetarian cheese)

1 to 2 tablespoons crème fraîche or sour cream (you can use low fat if you like)

Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling, salted water according to package directions.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Sauté the onion, red pepper and mushrooms for a couple of minutes until they begin to soften.

Add the tofu and stir fry for about five minutes, or as directed on the packaging. (If you are using green beans instead of peas add them here too.)

Stir in the peas, tomatoes, pesto and crème fraîche and warm through.

When the pasta is cooked, drain it and return it to the pan. Stir in the tofu pesto mixture and serve in warmed bowls or on warmed plates.

Serve with some grated vegetarian Italian cheese to hand round at the table for garnish if you like. 

My First Experience Cooking with Tofu

I’m not a vegetarian but I do enjoy meat-free meals, ordering them in restaurants and frequently cooking them at home, but one thing I’ve always been nervous about is cooking with tofu.  I have eaten it on many occasions, however up until last week I had never cooked with it myself. 

I had trouble imagining how I could transform the white, slightly slimy looking blocks I saw in the grocery store into something I could want to eat and the thought of having to press or drain it extensively and then marinate it always put me off.  Recently though I have noticed more and more ‘ready to use’ tofu in stores.  It is cut into bite size pieces and is already marinated which gives it a bit more appetizing colour. 

So last week I took my courage in both hands and bought one of the packages of ginger and garlic marinated tofu.  I was pleased to read it cooked in only five minutes, making it perfect to use in my cashew nut stir fry recipe in place of the cashews.  It turned out really well, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it, especially my long-suffering son who has been encouraging me to cook with tofu for ages!

1 to 2 tablespoons oil, sesame for preference

160 gram package (5 to 6 ounces) marinated tofu pieces (ginger and garlic)

2 or 3 leeks, finely shredded and thoroughly washed or 1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced

1 red pepper, de-seeded and sliced

1 yellow pepper, de-seeded and sliced

2 or 3 carrots, peeled and sliced thinly on the diagonal

2 to 3 packages ready to cook noodles or 2 or 3 nests of dried noodles, cooked, drained and tossed in a little oil

Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok.  Add the leeks or onion, peppers and carrots and stir fry for about three minutes.  

Add the tofu and stir fry for five minutes.  

Toss in the noodles, heat through and serve. 

That’s it, a quick and easy meat-free meal to serve up to four people.  It was delicious and I’m sure I’ll be cooking with tofu again soon!