Try this Tofu Bolognese recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or tamari for gluten free)
- 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke (or smoked paprika)
- 1 block extra firm tofu
- 3 cups tomato sauce (a 700ml jar or homemade)
- spaghetti or pasta of choice (use a gluten free pa
- Carbohydrate 3.10613 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 1.22288000036183 g
- Fiber 1.61580000114441 g
- Protein 2.779645 g
- Saturated Fat 0.168224750049962 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (9g)
- Sodium 6.89037500000723 mg
- Sugar 1.49032999885559 g
- Trans Fat 0.132982500009799 g
- Calories 30 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat your oven to 350F (180C).
- Mix all of the seasonings together in a large bowl. It will make a brown paste like texture.
- Open and drain the tofu (no need to press it), then break off chunks and break into a crumble with your fingers into the bowl along with the seasoning. Do this with all of the tofu until you have a large bowl of crumbles.
- Combine the tofu with the seasoning making sure all of the tofu is evenly coated.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or lightly grease the pan. Spread the tofu mixture evenly over the pan. Bake for 35 to 45 mins, stopping to stir the tofu every now and then. Keep a close eye on it towards the end so that it doesn't burn. You want the tofu to be nice and browned. The smaller crumbles will be darker than the larger crumbles, and that's ok because it will provide a variety of texture.
- In the meantime heat the tomato sauce, and cook pasta according to package directions.
- Stir the tofu into the sauce, and heat through. If you find the sauce is too thick, stir in a bit of water until desired consistency is reached. Serve over hot pasta with a sprinkle of Parmegan.
Watching extra firm tofu transform into a convincing meat substitute rests entirely on the oven monitoring phase between 35 and 45 minutes. Skipping this strict window leaves the protein watery and spongy inside the tomato base. Achieving the correct chew requires driving out internal moisture through dry heat rather than relying on heavy presses beforehand. Mixing the garlic powder, chili powder, and nutritional yeast directly into the crumbled blocks creates a seasoned crust as water evaporates.
Mastering the Roasting Phase
Spreading the crumbles evenly across a parchment-lined baking sheet set to 350 degrees Fahrenheit prevents steaming. Stirring every ten minutes exposes different sides of the tofu to direct heat, yielding a variation in texture where smaller pieces turn deeply browned while larger chunks retain a slight bite. Liquid smoke provides umami depth, though smoked paprika serves as an effective substitute at a one-to-one ratio if liquid smoke is unavailable.
- Burning occurs rapidly in the final five minutes; watch the pan continuously once the edges darken.
- Water adjustments depend entirely on tomato sauce thickness, so add warm water two tablespoons at a time if the mixture tightens too much.
- Parchment paper prevents sticky sugar residues from burning onto metal sheet pans.
