Red Pepper Pasta with Tofu Crumbles
This vibrant and delicious red pepper sauce is not spicy at all, but bursting with fresh flavor. The tofu crumbles and the pasta add amazing textures. This is a good one!!
Servings 8 servings
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!
