Spaghetti with Tofu
Submitted by matlo1
Vegetarian spaghetti with pressed tofu cooked to a ground-beef texture, mushrooms, herbs, garlic, tamari, and red wine. A meatless pasta that eats like a classic Bolognese.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
40 minREADY
1 hrsA vegetarian spaghetti that tastes like a proper meat sauce, the trick here is treating tofu like ground beef. Boiled, drained in a dishtowel, and pressed hard until it crumbles into firm meaty flecks, the tofu turns into a stand-in that absorbs herbs and tamari like a sponge.
The texture move is everything. Boiling for one minute firms the tofu. Twisting and pressing in a clean dishtowel drives out the water that would otherwise steam it into blandness in the skillet. Keep pressing until it crumbles and holds its shape, that is your target.
Build the sauce around it with onions, five cloves of garlic, dried thyme, basil, oregano, and just a whisper of ground cloves and celery seed. The cloves are unusual but quietly vital, they push the herb mix toward the warmth of a long-simmered bolognese.
Finishing with red wine and fresh parsley off the heat brightens the whole pan. Toss with cooked spaghetti so the noodles grab the sauce.
Kitchen Tips
- Use firm or extra-firm tofu, silken or soft will not survive the pressing step.
- Squeeze tofu in stages, one strong twist, rest, repeat, for the driest crumble.
- Cook mushrooms until the pan looks dry and edges brown, watery mushrooms dilute the sauce.
- Reserve a half cup of pasta water in case the final toss needs loosening.
Variations
- Use whole wheat spaghetti for a nuttier, higher-fiber version.
- Swap red wine for a splash of balsamic vinegar for depth without alcohol.
- Stir in a cup of crushed tomatoes for a more traditional Italian-American sauce.
Ingredients
Directions
Drop the tofu into a large kettle of boiling water.
Bring the water back to a boil and cook for 1 minute.
Line a colander with a clean dishtowel and drain the tofu in the colander.
Rinse the tofu under cold water to cool it off for easier handling.
Bring the edges of the towel together, twist the towel, and press the excess water out of the tofu.
Continue pressing the tofu until it has a firm ground-beef-like texture, then set it aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet.
Add the onion, garlic, thyme, basil, oregano, celery seed and cloves.
Sauté over low heat until the onion is almost tender.
Add the mushrooms and cook until they are done.
Add the pressed tofu to the sautéed mixture.
Stir in the tamari and mix well.
Set the skillet aside while you prepare the spaghetti.
Boil a large kettle of water and cook the spaghetti until it is tender.
Drain the cooked spaghetti and add it to the skillet with the tofu mixture.
Add the wine and the parsley; mix well.
Serve with a big green salad.
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