Not just for vegans: how to rock your tofu
Here’s the trouble with tofu, at least to some Western eaters: You can’t dip it in nacho cheese sauce. Or can you?
The idea of eating tofu - which is, after all, just coagulated soy milk can be a non-starter for many who see it as a weirdo ingredient limited to vegans or championed by Hippies Without Tastebuds.
In Western cuisine, tofu tends to be practically nonexistent in our culinary repertoire. Rebranding it as “bean curd” hasn’t really helped its cause, either. For some, the ick factor surrounding tofu is almost equivalent to their aversion to edible insects, despite the fact that many cultures around the world happily devour both as reliable sources of protein. But once we look at tofu as a protein that can be married with many other kinds of “typical” American ingredients, including cheese, eggs and, yes, bacon, then there is no excuse not to give tofu pride of place on the plate.
Growing up, my consumption of tofu generally came in the form of small bits floating in a bowl of hotand-sour soup at the local Chinese restaurant, or glorious deep-fried puffs made by my friend Caroline’s Vietnamese mother after school, which we dunked, scalding hot, in fish sauce. For many years, I thought of tofu only as an Asian ingredient, rather than just another protein source that could be a part of my everyday kitchen, no matter what cuisine was on the menu.
That is, until I came across a pasta recipe in the classic cookbook “From a Monastery Kitchen” that incorporated tofu and Parmesan. I can honestly say that it had never actually occurred to me to pair tofu with cheese; like seafood, it seems to be accepted that they just don’t belong on the same plate. But, surprisingly, it turns out that the simple act of adding a sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan to enhance tofu’s subtle nuttiness can be a real game-changer, even for avowed tofu-haters.
Over the years, my updated version of that recipe, Linguine with Broccoli and Tofu, has become a favorite of my vegetarian family - and my omnivore friends love it, too.
For those who want to increase their intake of healthy, plant-based proteins without necessarily giving up eggs, cheese and meat, creatively combining tofu with more familiar ingredients can be a painless, and tasty, way to take a more flexitarian approach. Extra-firm tofu can be easily crumbled into ground beef for hamburgers or thinly sliced and layered with Gruyere for a new take on a croque monsieur. Some might say it’s the cheese or meat that makes the tofu bearable, but - why not?
Linguine With Broccoli and Tofu
4 to 6 servings
Tofu and cheese in the same dish - imagine that! This is a nice, lowkey way to introduce people to tofu, especially because the addition of Parmigiano-Reggiano brings out tofu’s natural nuttiness.
To make the dish vegan, use toasted panko bread crumbs tossed with a little salt instead of the Parm.
Adapted from “From A Monastery Kitchen,” by Brother Victor-Antoine d’Avila-Latourrette (Harper & Row, 1976). Ingredients One 1-pound block extra-firm tofu 1 large head broccoli Salt, as needed 1 pound dried linguine 1/2 cup olive oil 3 cloves garlic, minced Freshly ground black pepper, as needed 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Drain the tofu and pat dry with several paper towels, pressing down lightly to help remove excess water, then cut into 1/2-inch cubes.
Trim the broccoli by removing the thickest part of the stem, then cut the thin stems and florets into bite-size pieces.
Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add a generous pinch or two of salt and the pasta; cook for about 6 minutes. Add the broccoli pieces to the pot (along with the pasta); cook for about 3 additional minutes, or until the pasta is al dente and the broccoli is bright green and just tender. Drain and then rinse the pasta and broccoli right away with cool water. Drain well.
Heat half the oil in the same pot you used to cook the linguine and broccoli, over medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the cubed tofu and stir to coat. Cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until it is golden brown and lightly crisped all over.
Reduce the heat to medium, then return the drained pasta and broccoli to the pot, along with the remaining 1/4 cup of oil and the minced garlic. Toss for a few minutes until all the ingredients are well incorporated and warmed through. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed.
Serve right away, topping each portion with up to 2 heaping tablespoons of the Parm.