Pesto pasta is one of the most unique and tasty kinds of pasta you can make. If you’ve had pesto before, you already know what it tastes like. This dish is made with your favorite kind of pasta and a pesto sauce made from tofu.
Instead of more oil and fat, this pesto is full of protein and flavor from plants. Fresh basil, creamy tofu, whole-wheat pasta, crunchy walnuts, and a touch of lemon make this dinner light and tasty.
So, this post is about Tofu Pesto Pasta Recipes if you don’t know how to make tofu pesto pasta. We’ll talk about different ways to make tofu pesto pasta so you can choose one you like. Then let’s get going.
Tofu Pesto Pasta Recipes
1) Tasty Tofu Pesto Pasta Recipe
Ingredients:
- Tofu 400g
- 250g dried pasta
- 200g bag fresh baby spinach
- ½ cup cashew nuts
- ½ cup walnuts
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 1 cup fresh basil & dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 head broccoli
- 2 tbsps nutritional yeast
- 1 lemon
- 4 cloves of garlic
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Sea salt & Black pepper
Instructions
- Place the pine nuts in a skillet and dry-fry for up to five minutes. They should be golden brown but not burnt and turn quickly if left unattended.
- Toss the basil, oregano, cashews, almonds, pine nuts, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil in a food processor or mixer until smooth.
- As necessary, drizzle additional olive oil to achieve the desired consistency.
- If the pesto is too dry, add a splash or two of soy or almond milk, but not too much because you want it to adhere to the pasta.
- Cut a block of tofu into little cubes after pressing it. Fry the cubes in a tablespoon of olive oil until they are crisp, and season with pepper and salt while they are cooking.
- Now, prepare your preferred pasta according to the manufacturer’s directions. Drain, then return to the pot and stir in the pesto.
- Add the cooked broccoli, green olives, and fresh spinach leaves to the spaghetti and thoroughly coat.
- Add a dash of tamari and pepper and salt to taste. If you enjoy a bit of heat, stir in 1 tsp of chili flakes.
- Transfer to serving bowls and top with tofu cubes.
- Here is your tasty Tofu Pesto Pasta
2) Vegan Tofu Pesto Pasta Recipe
Ingredients:
- Extra Firm Tofu
- Pine Nuts
- Cashews
- Nutritional Yeast
- Cornstarch
- Basil
- Lemon
- Dried Basil
- Garlic
- Pasta
- Water
- Salt & Pepper
Directions:
- Soak the cashews overnight to get them ready. This step will make the cashews softer and make it easier to mix them into a smooth sauce.
- The next step in the process is to press the tofu. In a bowl, mix the cubed tofu with the cornstarch, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, dried basil, salt, and pepper.
- Put the tofu on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and toss it until it is evenly coated.
- The basil tofu needs to be baked at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes.
- While the tofu bakes, cook the pasta until it is firm to the bite. To make this meal vegan, just use pasta without eggs.
- After soaking the cashews, baking the tofu, and cooking the pasta, it’s time to make the vegan pesto pasta sauce.
- You can make this vegan pesto pasta smooth by adding cashews. Pine nuts and basil are used to give pesto its distinctive taste. Nutritional yeast is used to make food taste like cheese. Add salt for taste and enough water to make a creamy sauce to bring everything together.
- Put the cooked pasta in the pot and stir in the mixed veggie pesto. Stir the noodles until they are completely covered with the sauce.
- Before you serve the pasta, mix in some fresh basil and crispy baked tofu.
Notes:
- For baking, the best tofu to use is extra-firm tofu. Since extra-firm tofu has less liquid in it to begin with, it crisps up better in the oven without having to be pressed before baking.
- The creamy texture of pesto sauce comes from cashews, and it’s hard to find a good replacement.
3) Mushroom touch Tofu Pesto Pasta
Ingredients:
- 200 g pasta
- 300 g tofu
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 2 clove garlic
- 1 bunch basil
- ½ lemon
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 200 g tomato
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- ½ bunch of silverbeet green leaves
Directions:
- Follow the directions on the package to cook the pasta.
- In a food blender, put the basil, pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, and salt. Whirl until the pieces are small.
- Add oil slowly while the motor is still going. Add the tofu and stir it well.
- Cook the onion for two to three minutes in a pan. Let the silver beet leaves soften first, then add them. The mushrooms and tomatoes should be cooked until they start to fall apart.
- After draining the pasta, mix it with sautéed veggies and pesto pasta.
- Voila! Here is your tasty Pesto Tofu Pasta.
Bottom Line
These are the three different and tasty tofu pesto pasta recipes that we liked the most. Use as much salt and pepper as you like. You can even try different things with your own items to make it taste different.
We hope this article was helpful & informative. Please leave your valuable thoughts & suggestions in the comments below!
