This tomato basil tofu pasta sauce is rich and creamy but made with simple and good for you ingredients! I promise you would never know this vegan pasta is made with tofu!
Ok, before you say omg Claire why are you putting tofu in pasta sauce, hear me out! This recipe was inspired by my tomato basil cream sauce, which has cashews as the base to make it creamy.
I get a lot of questions on how to make that recipe nut free, so I decided to make an official nut free version! It’s a bit different in that it requires no oven, just a stove and some really simple ingredients.
We’ll be using silken tofu (and only silken tofu!) to make a really creamy sauce, along with onion, cherry or grape tomatoes, some white wine, nutritional yeast and basil.
I promise, you would have NO idea there is tofu in this sauce once it’s all said and done! It’s rich and creamy and tastes like any old tomato cream sauce made with dairy.
How to make tofu pasta
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cooked pasta according to package instructions.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet. Add in the diced onion and saute for about 5 minutes, until it starts to brown. Add in the minced garlic and saute for an additional 5 or so minutes.
Add in the white wine and summer until the liquid has evaporated.
Add in the tomatoes (whole, no need to chop!), and saute for about 5 minutes, then cover and let steam until soften, about 5 more minutes.
Once that is done, carefully transfer to a blender along with all remaining ingredients.
When blending hot things, it helps to start the blender on the lowest possible setting and keep the lid slightly ajar, and slowy turn it up as you go. Blend until completely smooth and creamy.
Taste and adjust flavors as desired. You may want more red pepper flakes for a spicy pasta, more nutritional yeast for cheesy, or more salt just because!
Add about 3/4 of the sauce to the cooked pasta and stir to combine. Let simmer for a minute or so to allow the flavors to blend.
If you’re using gluten free pasta like I did (I used brown rice) I find the pasta really absorbs the sauce so I like to reserve a bit to pour on top of the final dish or save if I have leftovers! Garnish with fresh basil and enjoy!
Make it a meal!
Since the tofu adds a ton of protein to this pasta, I like to serve it exactly as is! Maybe sprinkled with some of my cashew parmesan (use sunflower seeds for nut-free), fresh basil with a glass of Pinot Noir on the side.
If you want to spruce it up or add even more protein, serve it with some simple grilled chicken breast and a side caesar salad.
Frequently asked questions
Does it keep?
Yes! This tofu pasta will keep for about 3 days in the fridge. I like to keep just a bit of sauce in a container to I can add that to the pasta when I reheat. That will it will get nice and creamy and be good as new!
Can I freeze the sauce?
Hmm, I haven’t tried this, but I think it would work! I’ve never frozen anything with tofu, but as long as you’re freezing just the sauce (and not with the pasta) you should be good.
Just be sure to leave room in the container for any freezing expansion.
Do I have to use silken tofu?
Yes! Well, you don’t have to, but I highly recommend it! It will yield the creamiest sauce and I promise you won’t detect any tofu at all.
Other varieties like firm or extra firm will yield the same flavor (though it may taste more tofu-y) but the texture will be much more gritty and not as smooth as with silken tofu.
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Tomato Basil Tofu Pasta
by: claire cary
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta of choice
- 14 ounces silken tofu
- 20 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes 20 ounces by weight, not volume
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 white or yellow onion
- 3 teaspoons minced garlic about 6 large cloves
- ½ cup white wine I used pinot grigio, any dry white wine is fine!
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or more if you like spice
- ¼ cup fresh basil
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cooked pasta according to package instructions.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet. Add in the diced onion and saute for about 5 minutes, until it starts to brown. Add in the minced garlic and saute for an additional 5 or so minutes.
- Add in the white wine and summer until the liquid has cooked off.
- Add in the tomatoes (whole, no need to chop!), and saute for about 5 minutes, then cover and let steam until soften, about 5-10 more minutes or until they look a bit wrinkley/blistered.
- Once that is done, carefully transfer to a blender along with all remaining ingredients.
- When blending hot things, it helps to start the blender on the lowest possible setting and keep the lid slightly ajar, and slowy turn it up as you go. Blend until completely smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust flavors as desired.
- Add about 3/4 of the sauce to the cooked pasta and stir to combine. Let simmer for a minute or so to allow the flavors to blend. If you're using gluten free pasta like I did (I used brown rice) I find the pasta really absorbs the sauce so I like to reserve a bit to pour on top of the final dish or save if I have leftovers!
- Garnish with fresh basil and enjoy!
Stephanie says
This sounds yummy! Is the sauce freezer friendly?
Claire Cary says
Yes! Should freeze for up to 2 months or so.
Sarah says
This looks yum! Does the basil go in the sauce when you blend it or is it just a garnish?
Claire Cary says
the 1/4 cup of basil that’s listed goes in the sauce, then you can add extra for garnish!
anu says
Soooo good. Thankyou. my first experience with silken tofu! Literally took minutes. i used butter not olive oil and added a red bell pepper to the sauce. Skipped the garlic as not everyone is a fan. They polished their plates and did not even know that there was no cheese.
Cat Davidson says
Fantastic recipe! It is so creamy and filling. I used lentil penne and I can’t believe how much protein I just ate. I added quite a bit more red pepper flakes and salt but I like everything on the spicy side. Thank you!
Claire Cary says
Perfect! Definitely one of my favorite high protein vegan recipes!
Lacy says
Claire, my family is obsessed with this recipe. I love that it has secret protein from the tofu! And it’s ridiculously tasty. Thanks!
Claire Cary says
Yay! That makes me so happy to hear, thank you Lacy!
Brenda says
Just wondering if you’ve ever tried this baked? Trying to decide if it would hold up nicely.
Claire Cary says
Like a baked mac and cheese? I haven’t tried it, but I think it would work! You can top it with breadcrumbs and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. I’d undercook the pasta slightly though!