If you've never thought of adding tofu to your pasta, then you're in for a treat! This Tofu Pasta Recipe is hearty, delicious, and comes together with a couple of simple pantry ingredients!
This recipe is similar in taste and texture to a bolognese sauce but it was inspired by my tofu ground beef recipe. The tofu is smoky, well-seasoned, and adds so much depth of flavor to the dish.
Enjoy it with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and fresh basil on top!
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Ingredients
Get all the details on these simple ingredients in the recipe card at the post's bottom.
- Pasta: I think the best pasta shape for this recipe is either rigatoni, rotini, or fusilli. They have a great textured and can hold the sauce pretty well.
- Tomato sauce: Use a high-quality tomato pasta sauce that you love the taste of. If you want to make your own, I have a pumpkin tomato sauce recipe that would be great here.
- Crumbled tofu: You can ground your tofu in a food processor or by hand.
- Fresh basil: This dish is quite hearty, so we need to add herbs to bring freshness.
- Onion and garlic: You can use either yellow or red onion.
- Spices: You'll need smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin, and dried oregano. You can also add red peppers flakes for some heat.
- Olive oil: Or another cooking oil of choice.
How to Make This Tofu Pasta Recipe
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water and drain the rest. Toss the drained pasta with some olive oil to prevent it from sticking. Set aside.
- In a large pan, heat some olive oil until hot. Add the diced red onion and cook for 4-5 minutes. Then, add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
3. Add the crumbled tofu and cook over medium heat for 7-8 minutes. Make sure to stir occasionally, until the tofu is golden brown. Then, add the spices and cook for 30 more seconds to toast them.
4. To the crispy tofu, add half of the pasta water, tomato sauce, basil, a pinch of salt, and a few cracks of black pepper. Stir, and let the sauce simmer on medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes.
5. Add the cooked pasta and toss to coat. Add more pasta water as needed, to achieve the desired consistency. Serve right away!
Top Tips
- Use extra firm tofu. Soft tofu or silken tofu won't work at all. They're too soft and won't crumble as extra-firm tofu does.
- Use high-quality pasta. The pasta type you use makes such a big difference to the end result. For best results, use bronze-cut pasta. It has a much rougher exterior than regular pasta, which allows for the sauce to stick to the noodles and that makes the dish taste better.
- Cook the pasta until al dente. For example, if the packaging says "cook for 8-10 minutes", you'll need to cook it for 8 minutes, which is the lower end of the recommendations. The pasta continues to cook in the sauce, so there is no need to cook it all the way through.
- Add extra veggies! This tofu pasta recipe is so versatile and flexible. You can add any vegetable you like including spinach, red bell peppers, eggplant, grape tomatoes, etc.
Frequently Asked Questions
I think of tofu as a blank canvas. It has a mild flavor and soaks well any marinades or spices you add to it. My favorite way to season tofu is with a mixture of soy sauce, onion powder, smoked paprika, nutritional yeast, and sesame oil. However, you can use any spices you like.
Yes, but you'll need to use a good non-stick pan. In that case, you can substitute the oil with a splash of water or vegetable broth.
Yes! Simply swap the regular pasta for gluten free pasta. The rest of the recipe is naturally gluten-free.
Yes, this recipe is freezer-friendly! However, it's best to freeze the sauce by itself, without the pasta. The sauce can last for up to 6 months in the freezer.
Yes, you can absolutely double this recipe to elicit more servings.
Serving
In addition to serving this tofu pasta recipe with vegan parmesan, I also love serving it with a dollop of vegan ricotta. And if I have it on hand, I add a spoonful of pesto as well.
If we're talking sides, I suggest serving this dish with a simple green salad, or with a side of air fryer broccoli or asparagus. For a heartier meal, I love to serve it alongside a piece of garlic bread.
And if you're looking for more ways to serve pasta, check out my 35 Best Side Dishes for Pasta.
Storage
For best results, store the pasta and the sauce separately. This way, the sauce will keep for up to a week in the fridge.
Let the sauce cool temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until you're ready to serve.
More Vegan Pasta Recipes
- Pasta e Ceci (Pasta and Chickpeas)
- Vegan Pasta e Fagioli
- Avocado Pasta Salad
- Southwest Lentil Pasta Salad
- Hummus Pasta Salad
- Vegan Vodka Sauce Pasta
- Vegan Baked Ziti
Tofu Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 oz (170g) pasta of choice (I use rigatoni)
- 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil, plus more for the pasta
- 1 small red onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 7 oz (200g) extra-firm tofu, pressed and crumbled*
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 ½ cups tomato sauce
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 4-5 fresh basil leaves, chopped
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water and drain the rest. Toss the drained pasta with some olive oil to prevent it from sticking. Set aside.
- In a large rimmed skillet, heat 1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil until hot. Add the red onion and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until it starts to caramelize. Then, add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Add the crumbled tofu and cook over medium heat for 7-8 minutes. Make sure to stir occasionally, until the tofu is golden brown. Then, add the spices and cook for 30 more seconds to toast them.
- To the tofu, add half of the pasta water, tomato sauce, basil, a pinch of salt, and a few cracks of black pepper. Stir, and let the sauce simmer on medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the cooked pasta and toss to coat. Add more pasta water as needed, to achieve the desired consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt or black pepper if needed. Serve right away with vegan parmesan on top (optional).
(Please refer to the post above for instructional photographs and other helpful information for this recipe)
Suggested Equipment/Tools
Notes
- Use extra firm tofu. Soft tofu or silken tofu won't work at all. They're too soft and won't crumble as extra-firm tofu does.
- Use high-quality pasta. The pasta type you use makes such a big difference to the end result. For best results, use bronze-cut pasta. It has a much rougher exterior than regular pasta, which allows for the sauce to stick to the noodles and that makes the dish taste better.
- Cook the pasta until al dente. For example, if the packaging says "cook for 8-10 minutes", you'll need to cook it for 8 minutes, which is the lower end of the recommendations. The pasta continues to cook in the sauce, so there is no need to cook it all the way through.
- Add extra veggies! This tofu pasta recipe is so versatile and flexible. You can add any vegetable you like including spinach, red bell peppers, eggplant, grape tomatoes, etc.
Nutrition
Post photography by: Petranka Atanasova.
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