Affectionately called “lil chef pesto,” this recipe holds sentimental value as one of the first vegan recipes I learned. I like to cook this if I know I have a stressful week ahead and need something to look forward to at lunch. It’s easy to make and great for meal prepping.

ingredients

pasta

• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, grated
• 1 jar vegan basil pesto
• 400 mL of coconut milk (1 can)
• 1 cup of frozen peas
• 280 g of baby spinach (1 large bag)
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 3 tbsp nooch
• 1 tsp MSG
• 400 g dried pasta (I like penne or spirals)
• Olive oil, as needed
• 1/2 cup pasta water
• Salt and pepper to taste

tofu

• 1kg of firm tofu, ripped into chunks
• 2 tbsp nooch, ground to a powder
• 2 tsp paprika
• 2 tbsp onion powder
• 2 tbsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp Taijin seasoning
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 2 generous pinches of salt

method

1. We’ll start with the tofu. Combine all the dry ingredients into a large bowl.
2. Toss the tofu chunks in the seasoning, making sure to get even coverage. Set the seasoned chunks aside on a plate.
3. Add a generous amount of olive oil to a large pot over medium heat. Shallow-fry the chunks of tofu in batches until crisp, roughly 10-15 minutes each, turning every few minutes or so.
4. Add the pasta to a pot of salted boiling water. Let this cook according to instructions while we make the sauce.
5. Set the tofu aside and add the onion to the pot we used for the tofu, frying until soft. Add more olive oil if necessary.
6. Add the garlic, frying until aromatic.
7. Add the jar of pesto, frying until the mixture becomes a bit runny and starts to sizzle.
8. Add the spinach and peas, mixing until all the spinach is wilted.
9. Turn off the heat and stir in the coconut milk.
10. Blend the mixture with a stick blender to your desired texture. I like mine a little bit chunky.
11. Bring the mixture back up to a simmer. Add the lemon juice, nooch and MSG. Spoon some pasta water into the sauce. Mix well and season with salt and pepper to taste.
12. By now the pasta should be cooked. Drain and add to the sauce, mixing to coat the pasta evenly.
13. Spoon into a bowl and top with tofu (or mix it in!).

notes

• Try not to eat too much of the tofu while you’re cooking the sauce.

macros

energy	4040 kJ
protein	46.9 g
fat	40.2 g
carbohydrates	111.2 g
fibre	13.1 g