Spaghetti with Vegan Tofu Ricotta

There’s something so comforting about a plate of spaghetti. This Spaghetti with Vegan Tofu Ricotta is a flavorful, cozy bowl of comfort food that uses one of my favorite ingredients. The tofu ricotta and marinara sauce are super simple recipes, and are SO tasty when combined as a sauce for your favorite pasta.

As most of us are staying at home right now and cooking from the pantry more often, I wanted to share some dishes that are made with simple ingredients but have easy substitutes in case you don’t have some ingredients on hand.

That’s actually my approach with all my recipes. You typically won’t find obscure ingredients, or a laundry list of ingredients that take long to prepare. I love a complex recipe as much as the next guy. But more often than not, I gravitate towards cooking food that is ready in roughly 20 to 40 minutes total.

Simple substitutions

Talking about simple substitutes for this Spaghetti with Vegan Tofu Ricotta, here’s a list of possibilities:

• If you don’t have cherry tomatoes, feel free to use any other fresh tomatoes you have, or just omit them. The recipe will still be delicious!
• The tofu ricotta calls for sun-dried tomatoes. If you don’t have these, you can use roasted red peppers or even olives will work such as kalamata or green olive (but you may want to use a small amount to start).
• I served my spaghetti with baby spinach. Delicious alternatives would be kale or collard greens, broccoli rabe, broccoli, or any other vegetables you have. Just lightly saute it with some oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and you’ll have a perfect side dish for this spaghetti!

Favorite Snacks and Meals using pantry staples this week

• Toast, toast and more toast! Sounds simple, and it is, but this has been a savior this week while working from home and home-schooling the littles. A good crispy toast topped with almond butter, guac (or simple mashed avocado), or hummus is tough to beat. Especially for a fast breakfast or snack.
• Easiest hummus recipe: 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed + 1 tsp kosher salt + 1/2 tsp pepper + juice of 3/4 to 1 lemon + 1/2 tsp garlic powder (or a clove of fresh garlic) + 2 tbsp olive oil; blend in food processor, scrape down sides, and drizzle in more olive oil until you reach desired consistency.
• Besides spaghetti, I’ve also been loving different varieties of my Vegan Chickpea and Mushroom Curry. I simply use whatever veggies I have on hand. I typically have canned chickpeas or other beans, but the veggies can change. Just choose whatever fresh or frozen veggies from the fridge or freezer. This recipe is a great base with the coconut milk and spice mix, and is easily adaptable.

Items helpful for this dish

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OXO 1134700 Good Grips 5-Quart Stainless-Steel Colander, Silver

Cuisinart Neoprene Oven Mitts and Potholder Set-Heat Resistant Oven Gloves to Protect Hands and Surfaces with Non-Slip Grip, Hanging Loop-Ideal for Handling Hot Cookware Items,Twill Stripe Titan. Grey

Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY 14-Cup Food Processor, Brushed Stainless Steel – Silver

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Spaghetti with Vegan Tofu Ricotta

There's something so comforting about a plate of spaghetti. This Spaghetti with Vegan Tofu Ricotta is a flavorful, cozy bowl of comfort food that uses one of my favorite ingredients.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Keyword: marinara, Pasta, spaghetti, tofu, tofu ricotta

Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. pasta dry
• red chili flakes optional, for serving
• extra chopped fresh parsley optional, for serving

Tofu Ricotta

• 1/2 14. oz block extra firm tofu drained, patted dry and gently squeezed with paper or kitchen towel to remove moisture
• 1/4 cup (packed) sun-dried tomatoes marinated type, drained
• 1/4 cup (packed) artichokes marinated type, drained
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp (firmly packed) fresh parsley
• 1/2 lemon, juiced

Marinara Sauce

• 1 small yellow onion finely chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1-1 1/4 tsp kosher salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes sliced
• 1 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
• 1-1 1/4 tsp garlic powder to taste
• 1/4 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp organic cane sugar optional

Instructions

• Boil just enough water for 1/2 lb. pasta and cook the pasta in salted water until just al dente. Drain.
• In a large sauce pan, add the 4 tbsp. oil and set over medium heat.
• Finely chop the onion and add to the pan along with the salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 8 minutes, stirring every so often.
• Then add the sliced tomatoes, cover, cook another 5 minutes.
• Add the garlic powder, dried basil, dried oregano, crushed tomatoes, and optional sugar. Cover and cook at a gentle simmer until ready to serve the dish.
• Meanwhile, add all of the ingredients for the Tofu Ricotta to a food processor and pulse until the ingredients come together and the sun-dried tomatoes and artichokes look finely chopped throughout the "ricotta". You can leave the ricotta as slightly chunky if preferred.
• To serve, add the pasta to the sauce and toss well. Add around half of the tofu ricotta and stir through. You may top with additional ricotta or save it for another recipe.
• Top with red chili flakes and chopped fresh parsley, if desired.