This recipe is a combination of a few of my favourite things – creamy pasta, balsamic marinated tofu and caprese salad. It is a beautiful balance of flavours and textures with the heavy, creamy pasta, offset by the fresh tomato and basil and the zinginess of the balsamic vinegar.
The traditional Caprese salad, originates from the Isle of Capri and is made with fresh sliced tomato, basil, mozzarella, salt and olive oil. In my caprese inspired pasta dish, I’ve replaced the creaminess of the mozzarella with a vegan creamy pasta, creating a hearty, yet fresh and visually beautiful meal. I also add a touch of balsamic vinegar to the tomato and basil and serve with a delicious balsamic marinated tofu.
There are 3 (easy) parts to this dish. It looks more complicated than it is, I promise!
- Balsamic marinated tofu
- Creamy one-pot pasta
- Fresh tomato and basil with balsamic vinegar
How do I make balsamic marinated tofu?
For best results, I recommend draining the liquid from the tofu, wrapping it in a clean kitchen towel and gently pressing the excess liquid out of it. This creates room in the tofu to absorb the flavours. I love this simple marinade of balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, salt and pepper. It doesn’t take long for the marinade to do it’s thing – 20 minutes is usually plenty. To cook, remove the tofu pieces from the marinade (reserving the marinade) and pan fry in some olive oil for 8 minutes, turning each piece halfway. Then, lower the heat and pour the remaining marinade over the tofu, cooking for a further 2 minutes as it thickens up. Balsamic marinated tofu is very versatile, great for topping pasta dishes and buddha bowls.
How to cook the perfect one-pot creamy pasta
One-pot creamy pasta is already a hero dish in our house and it is a quick and easy meal in and of itself. The cooking time may vary depending on your pasta brands, stovetop, pot etc so keep an eye on it as it cooks. Keep the lid on in the beginning to get the pasta going without losing too much moisture. When you remove the lid, the liquid will thicken a lot faster. Stir regularly to ensure the pasta cooks evenly, and add more liquid if it’s starting to stick or the sauce looks a little too thick. After 12 or so minutes you should be looking at a luscious creamy sauce with cooked pasta. The nutritional yeast adds a nice cheesy flavour.
Does one-pot creamy pasta keep well?
This recipe makes 3 servings. I usually don’t try to make this meal big enough for leftovers, as I find that creamy pasta is much better freshly cooked. But it will keep until the next day. You will just need to add a little water when reheating to loosen up the sauce.
Let me know in the comments below if you made this. I also love to hear your ideas and substitutions. Share your creations on Instagram with #IHTBvegan @ihtbvegan
Vegan creamy pasta with marinated tofu, tomato and basil
Ingredients
Marinated tofu
- 150 g extra firm tofu
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp water
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil to cook
One-pot creamy pasta
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 spring onion (about ½ C) - white and green part sliced
- 2 cloves garlic - crushed
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup soy milk
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp mixed dry herbs
- 250 g spaghetti - or other egg-free pasta of choice
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
Tomato and basil
- 1 cup solanato or grape tomatoes - sliced in half length-ways
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
Instructions
Marinated tofu
- Drain and wrap tofu in a clean kitchen towel and press gently to soak up excess moisture. Cut into 1cm cubes.
- Prepare marinade by combining the balsamic vinegar, water, maple syrup in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to your taste. Place tofu into marinade so that each piece is mostly submerged and set aside for 20+ minutes. (I cook the pasta while the tofu marinades)
- Heat olive oil in a large fry pan. Place in the tofu pieces, reserving the remaining liquid. Fry the tofu on medium-high heat for 4 minutes on each side. Then, lower the heat and pour over the remaining liquid, continuing to cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring continually.
One-pot creamy pasta
- In a large pot, heat olive oil and saute spring onion and garlic over medium heat for 2 minutes.
- Add to the pot the 3 cups of water, soy milk, salt, mixed herbs and bring to the boil.
- Drop in the spaghetti and as it softens submerge it into the liquid. You want to ensure all of the pasta is submerged - this may take around 2 minutes. Lower the heat, cover with the lid and simmer for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure the pasta doesn’t stick together.
- Remove the lid and continue to simmer until pasta is cooked (about another 5 minutes, depending on the pasta). If the liquid is evaporating too fast, add in more water 1 tbsp at a time. You want to be left with a lovely creamy sauce and cooked pasta.
- Remove from the heat, stir in the nutritional yeast and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Assembly
- In a bowl, toss together the tomato, basil and balsamic vinegar.
- To serve, divide the pasta between serving bowls, top with the tomato and basil mix and finally the marinated tofu.
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