Silken Tofu Pasta Sauce

Spooning up creamy tofu macaroni from a large pot.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 3

Total Time 13

Servings:6 servings

Author: Lori Rasmussen, My Quiet Kitchen

Creamy Tofu Pasta Sauce is a delicious and healthy alternative to dairy and a lighter option than vegan sauces made with nuts. Enjoy it on pasta as a garlicky tofu cream sauce, or add one more ingredient to transform it into a tofu cheese sauce that's perfect for mac and cheese! Only 7 ingredients and 10 minutes prep time. Gluten-free, oil-free and nut-free.

Yield: makes about 2¼ cups of sauce, enough for 8 ounces of dry pasta. Double the recipe for a full pound of pasta.

Ingredients
US Customary | Metric

For the basic creamy pasta sauce:

16 ounces silken tofu - I prefer the refrigerated type
6 Tablespoons nutritional yeast - For the best flavor choose a non-fortified brand like Sari
⅛ teaspoon lemon zest, optional
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar - or 1½ teaspoons distilled white vinegar
1 medium clove of garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
⅛ teaspoon ground mustard, optional

For a cheese sauce:

1 3-inch piece roasted red pepper from a jar - see Notes

Instructions

Note that as written the recipe makes about 2¼ cups of sauce, enough for 8 ounces of dry pasta. For a full pound of pasta, prepare a double batch of sauce.
Combine all ingredients except the roasted red pepper, if using, in a full size blender. Start on low speed, then increase to high. Blend until smooth. Stop to scrape down the side of the blender as needed.
Taste the sauce, and add more lemon, garlic, salt, or nutritional yeast as desired. Add a small piece of roasted red pepper, if using, and blend again. Taste and add more if you like.
If not serving right away, transfer to an airtight storage container and refrigerate until ready to use. Otherwise, pour into a saucepan. While whisking, cook over medium-low heat until bubbly and hot, 3-4 minutes.
Toss with your choice of cooked pasta, or serve as a sauce over roasted vegetables, potatoes, french fries, and more.

Notes

Silken Tofu: I prefer the refrigerated type of silken tofu found near the produce section versus the shelf-stable aseptic type like Mori-Nu. But the recipe will work with either. Since the aseptic boxes are smaller (12 oz vs 16 oz), you can use two of them for a total of 24 ounces, and multiply all of the other ingredients by 1.5. This will make enough sauce for about 12 oz. of pasta.

Soft tofu can be used instead of silken but you'll need to add a splash of water to the blender. Avoid firm or extra firm tofu for this recipe.

Roasted Red Peppers: Sold in jars packed in a salty, vinegar brine. Avoid brands that contain sugar since the sweetness will interfere with the flavor of the sauce. If you happen to have a jar of diced pimentos, that works, too.

Variations

Green Sauce: Add 2-3 large handfuls of baby spinach to the blender for a healthy green pasta sauce.
Creamy Mushroom Sauce: Saute 8 oz. mushrooms with one shallot or a small onion until softened and dry. Add this mixture to the blender, and blend until it's as smooth as you like.
Cheesy Dip: Add 1 teaspoon tapioca starch (before heating) and the roasted red pepper and serve it like nacho cheese. Another option is to add ½ teaspoon each dried chipotle flakes and cumin, plus your favorite salsa to taste.
Flavor Boosters: To any of the above variations you can add smoky or spicy flavors with ingredients like smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, chipotle in adobo, or liquid smoke. The basic pasta sauce is delicious with fresh or dried herbs like basil, thyme, parsley, and rosemary.

Store leftover sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze it for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, blend or whisk briefly to smooth it out, and reheat on the stovetop or as part of another recipe.

Nutrition