Red Pepper Pasta with Tofu Crumbles
You have to try this delicious vegan red pepper pasta with tofu crumbles that is bursting with flavor and not spicy at all. It’s vegan, kid-friendly, and can be made gluten-free and with or without the tofu crumbles which deliciously add texture and protein.
My current favorite dinner to make (for ourselves and others) is this super vibrant and very flavorful red pepper sauce over pasta with tofu crumbles! My kids like to call it “Cheeto Pasta” because the color is so naturally bright that the pasta looks like (artificially colored) Cheetos. Have I ever bought my kids (or myself!) Cheetos? No. Do they still know what they are? Of course. We live in this world.
Speaking of kids, ALL FOUR OF MY KIDS LIKE THIS! And me and my husband! You know what a feat that is. I better knock on wood before one of them randomly decides they don’t like it next time I make it.
Is Red Pepper Pasta with Tofu Crumbles a Quick Recipe?
Pasta night should be quick and easy! This one is super easy, since the sauce involes dumping four ingredients into a blender and it’s done. The tofu crumbles take a long time to get crispy in the oven, but only a couple minutes of hands-on time to get them ready to bake. If you have an air fryer, they will crisp up in about 15 minutes (just enough time to boil the pasta and blend up the easy sauce!). You can also skip the tofu crumbles and it’s a really yummy simple pasta recipe with just sauce.
How to Make Red Pepper Sauce
You take 4 ingredients. Dump them in a blender. Blend until smooth. You’re done!
The four ingredients are: a jar of roasted red peppers (these are bell peppers, not spicy at all), a jar of marinara pasta sauce, cashews which add creaminess, and salt (since we’re diluting the pasta sauce quite a bit, it needs extra salt).
Any pasta sauce will do. I look for the brands with the fewest grams of fat, personally, since that indicates the least amount of oil. I prefer to get my calories and fat from whole foods like the cashews we’re adding. Avoiding excessive oil in general makes it easy to not overconsume empty calories.
I like the Mezzetta brand, or Classico brand. They both have very good ingredients. I use either spicy, roasted garlic, or original marinara.
And any jar of roasted bell peppers works, too. I find this Mezzetta brand nearly everywhere I go. I keep a jar on hand at all times for recipes like these! You could roast your own bell peppers, too, but it’s not necessarily cheaper or healthier and it’s much easier to dump the jar in than make sure not to burn peppers in your oven.
How to Make Crispy Tofu Crumbles Or Substitute Them
I think tofu crumbles elevate almost anything. Of course, if you don’t like tofu, you can skip the tofu entirely and just have the pasta and sauce.
I have a whole blog post about how to make tofu crumbles, but I’ve included the instructions in the recipe card below so you don’t have to click over to the other recipe. I simply crumble the tofu, mix with seasonings, and bake for a really long time so a lot of the water bakes out and they get crispy. If you have an air fryer, they are quicker.
Instead of tofu, you could saute some faux meat like Impossible or Beyond ground beef, or just serve the pasta with sauce alongside some roasted vegetables and call it good!
What can I substitute the cashews with?
If you need to avoid cashews in this creamy sauce, you can either omit them entirely or try sunflower seeds or a spoonful of tahini. It is a slightly different texture and taste but still good. You could try a plant-based heavy cream, and leave out the cashews and the liquid from the jar of red peppers.
When I was sensitive to cashews and didn’t eat them, I created this nut-free red pepper pasta recipe.
For More Easy Pasta Recipes, Don’t Miss These!
Vegan Greek Pasta Salad (I make this for every picnic and camping trip!)
Red Pepper Pasta with Tofu Crumbles
Equipment
- 1 large pot
- 1 blender
Ingredients
- 1 16-oz box any pasta
Pasta Sauce (you'll have about half a batch left over)
- 3/4 cup raw cashews soaked at least 10 minutes in hot water then drained if you don't have a powerful blender
- 1 16-oz jar roasted red peppers
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 25-oz jar marinara pasta sauce
Tofu Crumbles (makes a lot for some leftovers, make half the batch if you don't want leftovers)
- 2 14-oz packages extra firm or super firm tofu
- 4 TBSP soy sauce or tamari
- 4 TBSP nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 TBSP rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 TBSP cornstarch
Instructions
Tofu Crumbles
- Start by making the tofu crumbles. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner. Or, use an air fryer.
- In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients except the tofu. Break the tofu into bite size pieces into the bowl. It's ok that they will vary in size quite a bit--it leads to a variety of textures. Some will be more crunchy and others softer, and it's yummy that way.
- Stir gently until the tofu crumbles are coated. Lay them out on the baking sheet, shaking it so they are as spread out as possible.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or so.
- If using an air fryer, it will take about 15-25 minutes to be golden brown and crispy. Shake occasionally so they are well-crisped.
- I like to roast some vegetables on another sheet pan at the same time. I dump out some frozen Normandy Blend (broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots) onto a baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes, or until golden and soft. Toss with a little olive oil and salt and pepper if desired.
Boil the pasta
- Next, get the water boiling for the pasta and cook according to the package directions while you blend up the sauce. Drain and return to the pot or a serving dish.
To make the sauce
- If you don't have a powerful blender, make sure to soak the cashews first in hot water to soften them, then drain.Pour all the ingredients into a blender. Dump the entire jar of roasted red peppers in, liquid included. Blend until very smooth.
All together now
- Pour most of the sauce over the cooked pasta. You'll have some leftover for another half batch of pasta, or to eat with chickpeas and rice or something else. Or you can freeze it for another day.Add all or some of the tofu crumbles to the whole pot and stir them in, OR let each person top their pasta with a spoonful of tofu crumbles at the table.
- Add more salt to taste, and red pepper flakes for heat. Mmm!
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