🥘 Ingredients
- Sesame Green Salad
- extra-firm tofu 1 block
- extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp
- lemon 1 medium
- nutritional yeast ¼ cup
- white miso 1 ½ tsp
- kosher salt 1 tsp
- freshly cracked black pepper
- ice water ¼ cup
- extra virgin olive oil 3 tbsp
- fresh rosemary 2 sprigs
- chickpeas 1 can
- kosher salt ½ tsp
- black pepper
- garlic 4 cloves
- Aleppo pepper 1 tsp
- baby spinach 5 oz
- salt
- pepper
- kosher salt
- protein spaghetti 10 oz
- pasta water ½ cup
- fresh basil 16 g
🍳 Cookware
- saucepan
- food processor
- sauté pan
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1Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Prepare the Sesame Green Salad , if you're making one.
Creamy Tofu Sauce
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1While the water comes to a boil, make the sauce. In a food processor , combine the extra-firm tofu , extra virgin olive oil , lemon , nutritional yeast , white miso , kosher salt , freshly cracked black pepper , and ice water . Puree until smooth, scraping down the sides as you go. If too thick, add more ice water, one tablespoon at a time, until you have a creamy and thick sauce (see Note 1). Taste, adding more nutritional yeast for cheesy flavor, more olive oil for richness, or more salt to taste.
Pasta
Note 1: Tofu brands can vary even when they're all "extra-firm," so depending on your brand you may need to add more ice water in the sauce step.
Note 2: If you have 1 (16-ounce / 450g) block of tofu and 12 ounces (340g) of pasta, feel free to use the full block of tofu, adding more lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and salt to taste; this will stretch the meal out a bit further.
Storage: Store the pasta in an airtight container in the fridge; it will stay good for about 4 days. Reheat in a saucepan on the stove over medium heat, or in the microwave, adding a splash of water (or plant milk) as needed to loosen the sauce. Top with freshly chopped basil/parsley right before serving if you have any left over.
Nutrition boost: Top with chopped cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, or use another can of chickpeas for more fiber and protein.
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1Heat extra virgin olive oil in a large, wide sauté pan over medium heat for one minute. Rub the fresh rosemary between your palms to release the oils, then add to the warm oil and gently sizzle for 30-45 seconds , or until aromatic.
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2Add the chickpeas and toss to coat in the oil. Season with kosher salt and a generous amount of black pepper . Stir occasionally, until the chickpeas just start to turn color, 3-4 minutes .
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3Add the garlic and Aleppo pepper , and stir frequently for 1 minute . If there are browned bits, deglaze with a splash of water.
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4Add in the baby spinach , in batches if needed. Season with a couple pinches of salt and pepper to taste and stir-fry until just wilted, about 1 minute . Turn off the heat and use tongs to scoop out the rosemary sprigs and discard.
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5Once the water is boiling, season generously with kosher salt , then add the protein spaghetti . Cook 1 or 2 minutes shy of al dente according to the box instructions. Before draining the pasta, scoop out a couple ladles of pasta water and reserve.
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6Drain the pasta but do not rinse. Add the pasta to the pan with the chickpeas and spinach.
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7Pour in the Creamy Tofu Sauce plus pasta water . Turn the heat to medium-high and use tongs to vigorously toss the pasta with the sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes , or until the pasta is well-coated and al dente. Add more pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
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8Remove from the heat and stir in the fresh basil . Taste, adding more lemon juice, salt, or pepper as needed. Serve with your side salad, if you made one.