Creamy Tofu Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes (No cook sauce!)

This pasta is one of my go-tos when I'm super hungry and want something that's healthy but quick! The silken tofu provides a protein boost, plus the sun-dried tomatoes are so flavorful you'll want to sneak them to snack on while you wait for the pasta water to boil.

I think this creamy tofu and sundried tomato pasta recipe is nearly as quick as pesto pasta, and definitely has more protein!

If you're a fan of pasta (because who isn't) you need to try my Garlicky White Beans & Greens Pasta which is also super quick to make. Or this Creamy Zucchini Pasta with Lemon Basil Sauce which has also has a creamy tofu based sauce. And if you're the sort of person who likes to add a little 'something' to their pasta, this Pangrattato - aka Crispy bread crumbs for pasta is the perfect topping to create texture and flavor.

🍅Ingredients

Make sure you have all the right ingredients so you can make this creamy pasta sauce perfectly the first try!

1. Silken Tofu- is a soft tofu. Tofu nutritional powerhouse and comes in a variety of textures. For this recipe to work, silken tofu is best, as it blends up to a lush creamy texture. You can get silken tofu in long life Tetra packs (so handy) or fresh from some supermarkets or specialty health food or Asian stores.
2. Sundried Tomatoes in olive oil- I like using the slightly herby jar of sun-dried tomatoes that you would nibble on as part of a snack board. If you can't find the ones in oil, you will need to soak the sun dried tomatoes in hot water.
3. Nutritional Yeast-cheesy and delicious! Choose the variety of nutritional yeast flakes with B12 as that's a vitamin that most people are lacking.
4. Fresh Garlic (or garlic powder)- you choose your level of garlic! I like one or two cloves of fresh garlic to keep the vampires at bay.
5. Kalamata Olives- or other good quality pitted olives. I like the depth of flavor that the olives bring to the creamy sauce.
6. Balsamic Vinegar- for a little bit of sweetness and tang. You could also use a squeeze of lemon juice instead.
7. Pasta of choice- choose your favorite pasta type! If you want a ton of protein go for a chickpea or lentil pasta, or just your fave durham wheat pasta. (The pasta I use in the photos is called Radiatori. It kind of looks like little oil radiators!)
8. Sea Salt and optional black pepper - for seasoning.

See recipe card for quantities.

👩‍🍳Instructions

The creamy tofu sauce can be made in less than the time it takes to boil your pasta! Perfect for busy weeknights! So first of all, bring your pasta water to the boil and salt it well.

1. In your blender or food processor add all the sauce ingredients. Make sure to add some of the flavorful oil that the sundried tomatoes come in.

2.Blend for 1-2 minutes. You might need to push the sauce down with a spoon.

3. The sauce is ready when it is thick and creamy and has a nice texture. Taste for salt or to see if you want to add more garlic or vinegar to balance the flavors.

4. Once the pasta is cooked al dente, reserve some of the pasta water and drain the pasta, then mix together the sauce, hot pasta and a little of the reserved pasta water.

Serve garnished with fresh basil leaves, some chopped olives, vegan parmesan cheese and maybe a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. If you're feeling fancy you could also chop up some extra sundried tomatoes to toss through the pasta. Add a simple green salad for the ultimate family favorite dinner.

Hint: Adding a little bit of the reserved pasta water to the sauce thins it out and helps the sauce coat the cooked pasta nicely.

🌶️Substitutions & Variations

This creamy sun dried tomato pasta recipe is easy to switch up for your own tastes!

• Gluten-Free- the sauce for this recipe is already gluten-free, so choose your favorite gluten-free pasta. Or choose a gluten-free high protein pasta to increase the protein content of this pasta recipe.
• Spicy Pasta - spice up this recipe with red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce when blending the pasta.
• Pesto Sauce - replace the sundried tomatoes with your favorite pesto (Like my Easy Vegan Basil Pesto) for a creamy pesto sauce.
• Sundried tomato paste- opt to use sundried tomato paste, perhaps with some Italian seasoning in place of the sweet sun-dried tomatoes.

🔪Equipment

You'll need a large saucepan for boiling the pasta, and a blender or food processor to blend the creamy tofu sauce.

🫙Storage

Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. This recipe makes a great meal prep as well as a quick dinner. Add extra flavor if you want to eat it cold by adding cherry tomatoes, a little diced onion or green onions.