Creamy Tofu Primavera


4 of 5 (2)
member ratings
Nutritional Info
  • Servings Per Recipe: 8
  • Amount Per Serving
  • Calories: 259.8
  • Total Fat: 12.0 g
  • Cholesterol: 20.8 mg
  • Sodium: 826.4 mg
  • Total Carbs: 29.1 g
  • Dietary Fiber: 4.0 g
  • Protein: 11.2 g

View full nutritional breakdown of Creamy Tofu Primavera calories by ingredient


Introduction

A delicious pasta dish that has the creaminess of an alfredo primavera sauce with a fraction of the calories. A delicious pasta dish that has the creaminess of an alfredo primavera sauce with a fraction of the calories.
Number of Servings: 8

Ingredients

    Vegetable Broth, 2 cup
    Carrots, raw, 4 large
    Spinach, fresh, 1 cup
    Green Beans (snap), 2 cup
    Olive Oil, Extra Virgin, 4 tbsp
    Garlic, 2 cloves
    Onions, raw, 1 small
    Pepper, black, 1 tsp
    Salt, 2 tsp
    Basil, dried, 3 tbsp
    Oregano, ground, 1 tbsp
    Parsley, dried, 1 tbsp
    Tofu, extra firm, 1 block
    Milk, 1%, 1 cup
    Pasta, cooked, 16 oz
    Cornstarch, 2 tbsp
    Pepper, red or cayenne, 1 tsp

Directions

1) Remove the tofu from the packaging and drain. Cut the tofu into small squares (about 16-20) in all. Soak in vegetable broth for at least an hour. If you want to help absorbency, wrap the tofu in a towel and place under a heavy book for an hour to drain out excess moisture before putting it in the vegetable broth.

2) Remove tofu squares from the broth and set broth aside. Lay out on a foil lined baking sheet with raised edges. Ladle a small amount of the broth over the tofu squares (about 4 tbsp worth). Sprinkle on top of the broth covered squares the black pepper, 1 tsp of salt, and 2 tbsp of the basil. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

3) While the tofu is baking, set up the pasta pot and the vegetable saute pan. Begin heating 5 quarts of salted pasta water to a boil. In a large skillet, heat 4 tbsp of olive oil at medium-low heat.

4) Chop the garlic fine and add to the olive oil (be careful that it doesn't burn). Chop the onion and add that to the olive oil. Add the parsley, oregano, cayenne, remainder of the basil and salt, and a dash of pepper to the sizzling garlic and onion.

5) Raise to medium heat and begin adding vegetables, starting with the hardest ones first (in this particular version, I added the carrots first after peeling them and cutting them into medallions). After the carrots cook for about ten minutes, add the green beans. Add any other vegetables you have in order of descending hardness EXCEPT the leafy ones such as spinach. Stir and make sure all the veggies are coated in the olive oil, herbs, and spices.

6) Add cornstarch to the sauteed veggies and cook for five minutes or until the cornstarch is sufficiently absorbed into the oil and coating the vegetables. Add the vegetable broth and milk and raise heat to medium high. Keep stirring the mixture until it starts boiling. Once boiling, lower heat so that the milk doesn't burn and let simmer.

7) By this time, the tofu should almost be done cooking and the pasta water should be boiling. Once water boils, cook pasta according to package directions. When pasta is done, drain and add to the vegetable-creamy sauce mixture. When tofu is done, also add to mixture. Blend thoroughly and serve warm.

Serves 8

Other Notes:
You do not have to use the vegetables I used here--you can use any ones you want as long as you cook them from hardest to softest (mushrooms and bell peppers would work well here too). Other modifications include using skim milk, low sodium broth, and whole wheat pasta. However, I don't know how creamy the recipe will be with skim milk.

Number of Servings: 8

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user NOCTURNALBLUE.

Member Ratings For This Recipe


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    Incredible!
    I made this dish last night, and threw in every vegetable I had!! It was outstanding!! I will make this recipe again & again!! t was a hit among my teenage kids as well (which is the big hurdle) & my husband will eat anything that doesn't eat him first. Two thumbs up!!
    Thank you very much!! =}
    - 3/17/10