Sweet Emily takes the time to veganize + healthify a recipe + I go + unveganize it.
Shame on me.
Hey,at least I kept it healthfied.
Not-So-Vegan Broccoli Cheese Pasta Bake
[Emily's original vegan recipe + directions can be found here]
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 16 oz package of Nasoya organic firm tofu
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 skim milk [or milk of your choice]
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese [2 ounces]
- 1 large head of broccoli [you want LOTS of broccoli]
- 1 16 oz bag of whole wheat pasta [penne,macaroni,the curly kind,etc]
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
INSTRUCTIONS:
Sauce:
- Blend tofu in food processor until it is a creamy consistency [only a few seconds].
- Add mustard,garlic powder,salt,black pepper + cheese to food processor. Let spin until well blended.
- Add milk + tomato sauce into the mix + give it a whirl.
- Taste test time! See if your sauce needs any other added ingredients [ie:salt,pepper,tomato sauce,etc]
Pasta:
- Bring water to a boil + cook until al dente.
- Drain.
Broccoli:
- Lightly steam to your preference.
Assembly:
- Mix pasta + broccoli + sauce.
- Sprinkle with paprika.
- Bake or microwave desired portion until hot.
- Enjoy!
Calculated at 8 servings this dish contains approximately:
282 kcals,5 grams of fat,8 grams of fiber,17 grams of protein
Serve it with a sizable salad + you’ve got yourself a meal.
Scale back the portion size a little + you’ve got yourself a great side dish.
I’m sure the vegan recipe is amazing –My pantry is lacking nutritional yeast –So I unveganized it.
It was delicious + nutritious. And the leftovers amazing!
Thanks for such a great idea Emily.
What recipes have you been really loving lately?
Cheers,
B+B
Haha,I do things like that,too. I would have probably added shrimp or so ethibg too. I mean,I already shifted away this much…heh
It looks really yummy! I’ve never used tofu in a sauce. I have to try.
MMMM shrimp…. perhaps I’ll make shrimp udon for lunch! Tofu as a creamy sauce is ahhhhhmazing.. I made kale lasagna last night using tofu + cottage cheese….. more on that to come soon!
Both the vegan and the un-vegan versions sound delicious.
Lee! It totally could have been one of the easiest meals I have ever made! Super yummy too!!
Mmmm cheese
Pretty cool how tofu can replace cream for a thick sauce. I bet it was still just as delicious (more?) than a heavy pasta dish. In fact I really don’t care for thick cream sauces at all…this one looks tastier to me!
Way tastier! And you could walk away from the table feeling good —not weighed down. The sauce is super versatile.. I love it!
I never think to bust out the tofu when making a cheesy pasta sauce. May have to give it a go one of these days. I even have nooch,so I could keep it vegan if need be!
Ha! I just stared at the word “nooch”+ then mentally went through the post in my head….. and then wised up to it being nutritional yeast.. that is what happens when you don’t have coffee or exercise in a day —you go brain dead!
I’ve never tried using tofu in the sauce form. I bet it would make it super creamy though. Looks fantastic!
Lauren it is so good! It would totally be a hit at a pot luck!! ox
I LOVE this recipe! I’ve never even though of using tofu to create a sauce…love it!
This sounds great! I recently got some Himalayan pink salt and organic peppercorns from Sustainable Sourcing https://secure.sustainablesourcing.com and I’ll have to try them out in this recipe. Thanks for sharing!
MMMm Deb- that salt sounds great!