065 / 75 · Make Once, Eat Again
Tofu Bolognese Pasta Bake
4 pasta-bake meals, each with one-quarter of the tofu sauce, pasta and cheese · Active 55 min · Total 2 hr 15 min
Print recipe · PDFCrumbled tofu takes on a sauce more effectively when some surface moisture is cooked away first. In this bake it joins tomato, carrot and onion around ordinary pasta, with a measured mozzarella top. Two tofu batches give the pan room to work instead of steaming a large damp heap. The finished dish makes four meals and needs a center-temperature check, even when the cheese at the edges is already golden.
Crumble instead of cubing
Drain and weigh plain firm calcium-set tofu before patting it dry. Break it into small irregular crumbles with clean fingers or a fork, rather than neat large cubes. The small pieces distribute through tomato sauce in a different way from a tofu stir-fry. Cook half at a time in the wide skillet, turning occasionally and letting moisture escape before adding the tomatoes. The tofu should look less wet with a few golden edges, not be fried into hard dry pellets. Follow any extra preparation instructions on its package.
Leave some work for the oven
Cook the dry pasta slightly short of its packet’s full tender stage because it will continue in the sauce. Keep the reduced tomato-tofu mixture moist enough to coat every piece; a completely dry sauce cannot finish a partially cooked tube of pasta. Fold everything together before moving it to the three-liter dish, then spread the measured mozzarella evenly. A much smaller vessel would leave too little headroom for bubbling. The ingredient weights are for four complete portions, not four spoonfuls served beside an unrecorded protein.
Cool portions while they are easy to divide
Give the hot bake a brief rest, then divide it into four shares of pasta, tofu and topping. Lift planned later portions into shallow storage containers promptly rather than leaving the whole ceramic dish on the counter until cold. The topping can soften after freezing and the pasta can absorb more sauce; a little water and covered reheating help. Do not repeatedly heat the entire dish for one meal. The estimate includes all the mozzarella and the full measured oil, with no added Parmesan or garlic bread.
Ingredients
- Plain firm calcium-set tofu, drained and crumbled (600 g before patting dry)
- 8 1/2 oz dry short pasta, such as penne (240 g)
- About 12 cups water for pasta (3 liters)
- 2 cans crushed tomatoes with juice (800 g total)
- 1 large onion, finely diced (150 g)
- 2 medium carrots, finely diced (150 g prepared)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced (6 g)
- 4 teaspoons olive oil (20 ml/about 18 g), divided
- About 1 cup loosely grated whole-milk mozzarella (120 g)
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano (2 g)
- 1 teaspoon fine salt (6 g), divided
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (1 g)
Set out
3-liter/about 3-quart baking dish, around 8 by 12 by 2 inches/20 by 30 by 5 cm, 30 cm/12-inch nonstick skillet, Large saucepan for pasta, Colander, Clean bowl for browned tofu, Spoon, Clean towel, Knife and board, Grater, Kitchen scale, Food thermometer, Oven mitts, 4 shallow storage containers
Allergens
Soy, Wheat, Milk; check pasta for egg or other added allergens. Check labels and substitutions.
Make it
- Heat the oven to 375°F/190°C. Drain and weigh tofu, pat dry and crumble into small irregular pieces. Heat 1 teaspoon/5 ml oil in the wide nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook half the tofu for 8–10 minutes until moisture evaporates and a few edges turn golden. Transfer to a clean bowl and repeat with another teaspoon/5 ml oil and remaining tofu.
- Lower heat to medium and add the remaining 2 teaspoons/10 ml oil. Cook onion and carrot for 9–11 minutes until softened. Add garlic and oregano for 30 seconds. Return tofu, add tomatoes, pepper and half the salt, and simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes until thick but still moist enough to coat pasta. Follow any longer tofu product cooking instruction.
- Meanwhile bring pasta water and remaining salt to a boil. Add pasta and cook until about 2 minutes short of its packet’s full tender time. Reserve 1/2 cup/120 ml cooking water, then drain.
- Fold pasta into the tofu sauce, adding a little reserved water if it is too stiff to coat evenly. Put all contents in the 3-liter dish and sprinkle with all measured mozzarella. Bake for 20–25 minutes until bubbling and the center reaches 165°F/74°C.
- Rest for 5 minutes, then divide into 4 equal portions. Serve now or transfer planned later meals promptly into shallow containers for cooling.
A useful kitchen skill
Dry crumbled tofu in separate batches and keep a baked-pasta sauce moist enough to finish slightly undercooked pasta.
A useful detail
The 135-minute total includes two tofu batches, vegetable softening, sauce reduction, pasta, assembly and baking. The estimate uses plain firm calcium-set tofu and dry enriched pasta; silken or extra-dense tofu products are different composition choices.
Another way
- Use 120 g cheddar instead of mozzarella, checking its different composition and watching the top as it browns.
- Replace 150 g carrot with 150 g prepared red bell pepper, cooking until softened before the tomato stage and revising the estimate.
Keep it well
Divide leftovers promptly into shallow containers, no more than about 2 inches/5 cm food depth, and refrigerate at 40°F/4°C or below within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F/32°C. Do not wait for a deep pot or dish to cool on the counter. Use within 3 days. Once chilled, seal and freeze at 0°F/−18°C for up to 2 months for quality. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat the needed portion to 165°F/74°C throughout, with a small splash of water if dry. Pasta softens further after freezing.