Vegan MoFo #3: Pesto Tofu & Fire-Roasted Tomato Mushroom Sauce over Angel Hair

It finally feels like fall here in Sacramento. When I left the office this afternoon I was greeted with that indescribably wonderful smell of rain. The first rain of the season. It smelled so good I didn’t even mind that I would be riding my bike home in it.

Now I feel like I am finally in the mood for all the pumpkin, spice, and apple delights I have been seeing on other food blogs lately.  So expect that soon.

In the meantime, this is a recipe I am very proud of. But I really can’t take all the credit. What makes this dish great is the Pesto Tofu I discovered at my local co-op. This is a local company and they have several other flavors, such as Smoked Jalepeno, Jasmine Tea-Smoked, and Salt and Pepper. I also happen to like their plain tofu better than any other brand I have tried. (No I am not being compensated for that!) I plan on trying all their varieties, so expect to see them in future blog posts.

What I envisioned for the tofu was a breading made of pine nuts and garlic. The coating did not go as planned (there wasn’t enough and it didn’t stick well) so consider this a draft version. Next time I think I will add bread crumbs. It still tasted damn good though. I will be experimenting more with this and will eventually post a revised version.

That seemed like a lot of talking. Let's get to the recipe already!

Pesto Tofu with Fire-Roasted Tomato Mushroom Sauce

For the tofu:

9 oz package Pesto Tofu, sliced into 8 pieces

3 tbls ground pine nuts

3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

2 tbls vegan parmesan

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp tamari or soy sauce

For the sauce:

1 tsp olive oil

1 small onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

¼ pound white or crimini mushrooms, sliced

Pinch of dried basil and oregano

28 oz can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes

Directions:

Preheat the broiler.

For the tofu, combine the pine nuts, garlic, and vegan parmesan on a saucer. On another saucer, combine the oil and tamari. Briefly dip each tofu slice into the oil mixture, then press into the breading mixture to coat. Place on a cookie sheet lined with foil. Broil the tofu for 5 minutes on each side.

For the sauce, heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Add onions and garlic and sauté until softened. Add mushrooms and dried herbs and cook until mushrooms are soft. Add tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add salt to taste.

I served this over whole wheat angel hair pasta but I also think polenta would be great.