Photo by Vanessa Rees
I love a recipe that is a complete meal. It is built into my DNA. I have always been someone who puts a pot of water on to boil and preheats my cast iron before I have even figured out what I am making, and if that is you too, you are going to appreciate this pesto pasta with tofu: a whole weeknight dinner in about 40 minutes, with pasta, a rich sauce, solid protein, and a veggie.
It satisfies two of my deepest cravings, tender cauliflower and fragrant pesto, plus the thing everyone always, always, always wants: breaded tofu.
Why This Pesto Pasta with Tofu Rocks
- It is a whole dinner in one bowl: pasta, sauce, protein, and a vegetable, no side dishes to figure out, no salad required.
- The cauliflower cooks beautifully right in the pasta water, making dish duty a little less stressful.
- The breaded tofu is the easy kind, a quick dip and dredge, no marinating or multi-step coating. Still very crispy and delicious.
- It comes together in about 40 minutes, lots of it hands-off while things boil and crisp.
- You’ll have extra pesto to use for the rest of the week. Never a bad thing.
- It is endlessly flexible, swap the vegetable, change the pasta shape, use jarred pesto on a busy night.
About That Breaded Tofu (This Is the Lazy Way)
This method is for when you want to be less precious about breading tofu. No marinating, no dredging, no worries. We use a down-and-dirty breaded tofu that may not look like a $30 entrée, but it’s still cute, it tastes fabulous and could not be simpler. You give each cube a quick dip in soy sauce, toss it in bread crumbs and spices, and into the pan it goes. A thin layer of olive oil is all it takes to get that golden crunch.
Get the Timing Right
Make the Bestest Pesto first, before anything else, so it is ready and waiting when the pasta comes out of the pot. From there everything overlaps. While the water comes to a boil, bread the tofu, then get it into the hot pan. While the tofu crisps up, drop the linguine, and a few minutes later the cauliflower goes right into the same pot to boil alongside it. By the time the pasta and cauliflower drain, the tofu is browned and the pesto is waiting, so all that is left is to toss and top.
What you end up with is a creamy, seductive sauce wrapped around tender cauliflower and slurpy linguine, topped with homey, herby cubes of yumminess. It comes from Isa Does It, where it has earned its spot in the regular rotation.
More Weeknight Pasta Recipes
Vegan Pesto Pasta With Tofu FAQ
Can I make this gluten-free? For sure. Use a gluten-free short pasta and swap the bread crumbs for gluten-free ones. Everything else in the pan is already gluten-free.
Can I use a different vegetable? Yup yup yup. If you are sticking with the boil method, broccoli or asparagus both work in place of the cauliflower, just give the asparagus a shorter cook since it turns tender fast. You could also roast your vegetables instead of boiling and use whatever you like, in which case roast them on a sheet pan while the pasta cooks and toss everything together at the end.
Can I use store-bought pesto? Absolutely. The Bestest Pesto is worth making if you have ten minutes, but a good jarred vegan pesto gets you to the table faster, and nobody is grading you.
What pasta shape is best? Linguine is what I use, but the sauce clings to just about anything. A short shape like penne catches the pesto in its ridges if you would rather not twirl.
How did I end up here? You were searching for a vegan pesto pasta with tofu that actually eats like a full meal, something with protein and a vegetable built in, not just noodles and sauce. This one boils the cauliflower right in the pasta water, crisps the tofu in a single pan, and comes together in about 40 minutes. Search over.
Pesto-Cauliflower Pasta with Easy Breaded Tofu
Ingredients
For the tofu:
- 14 ounces extra-firm tofu cut into ½-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
- ¾ cup fine dry bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme crushed between your fingers
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary crushed between your fingers
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- Olive oil for pan-frying (spray works great)
For the pasta and veggies:
- 8 ounces linguine
- 1 medium head cauliflower 1½ to 2 pounds, in small florets
- Bestest Pesto about 1 cup
Instructions
- Bring a 4-quart pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta and cauliflower. Make the Bestest Pesto.
Prepare the tofu:
- Preheat a large nonstick pan, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat.
- Pour the tamari onto a rimmed dinner plate. On a separate plate, use your fingertips to mix together the bread crumbs, garlic powder, thyme, rosemary, and basil.
- Place a handful of tofu cubes in the soy sauce and toss to coat, then move them to the bread crumb plate and dredge to coat. (Use your wet hand for the tamari and your dry hand for the bread crumbs, otherwise you’ll end up with a giant crumb mitten.) Set the coated cubes to the side and repeat until all the tofu is breaded.
Cook the tofu:
- Add a thin layer of olive oil (spray oil works great) to the preheated pan and transfer the tofu cubes in, making sure not to crowd the pan (cook in two batches if needed). Drizzle or spray the tops with a little extra oil. Let them cook for a few minutes, then flip carefully with a thin metal spatula. Cook for about 7 minutes total, adding a splash or spray more oil if the pan gets dry, until browned on most sides.
Assemble:
- When the water is at a rolling boil, add the linguine. After about 4 minutes, add the cauliflower right into the same pot. Cook for about 8 more minutes, until the pasta is al dente and the cauliflower is tender.
- Drain everything into a colander, then return the pasta and cauliflower to the warm pot. Stir in the pesto until everything is glossy and well coated. Divide into bowls, top with the crispy breaded tofu, and serve hot.
