Angel Hair with Zucchini and Tofu “Ricotta”
I decided I would show my lingering-maybe-might-be-sorta-kinda-head cold who is boss by biking to work this morning. It’s nothing crazy–5 miles, mostly downhill, relatively car-free. Going home will be fun, but that’s what the shower is for. I figure it’ll be a decent alternative working out on nice days. There is no way I’m biking in the rain. I’ll melt!
Allie posted the Top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy books voted by NPR this morning. It made me realize a) how much I miss reading and b) how much I’ve been slacking in terms of that genre of books. I’m almost ashamed to say they’re my favorite. Between finishing up my two classes this term, learning Italian [thanks, Rosetta Stone], and squeezing in workouts for both me and Roma, my “fun reading” is pretty limited. I need to make time.
This was something I threw together on a whim thanks to an abundance of fresh produce from my grandma’s garden. I still had leftover tofu from the stuffed pasta shells, so a new dish was born. I probably went a little heavier on the tofu “ricotta” than I would have probably wanted [easily enough for two], but I needed to use it. Such is my life. This would work well with any meat/veggie combination. I almost didn’t miss real cheese.
We’ll just pretend I wouldn’t have preferred to have the rest of the whole milk ricotta in the fridge.
Ingredients
- 2-3oz dried pasta of choice [I used angel hair]
- 8oz extra firm tofu
- 1 tablespoon oil [I used olive]
- 1/2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 small zucchini, sliced into rounds, then sliced in half
- Cracked pepper
- Chili flakes
- Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and set aside.
- Saute zucchini slices in a little bit of olive oil [I sprayed my pan with it] on medium heat.
- Sprinkle pepper and chili flakes liberally on top while they cook.
- Toss the tofu, olive oil, nutritional yeast, garlic, and oregano in a food processor [or blender].
- Process [blend] until smooth.
- Taste and adjust if necessary.
- Once the zucchini is soft, about 5-7 minutes, remove from heat and add the pasta and tofu sauce.
- Stir until it is mixed thoroughly.
- Top with more cracked pepper before serving.
You should never be ashamed to say sci-fi/fantasy is your favorite 😀 I’m an English major who should theoretically know better, yet I will still never hesitate to admit that I will pick a fantasy novel over some classic literature (except where the two overlap) any day of the week. Glad I could hopefully inspire you to find a few free minutes to tackle some plain old enjoyable reading.