I saw a recipe a while back that used tofu in stuffed shells. The author of the recipe said that the tofu would take on the consistency of ricotta. This got the gears a turnin' and I wondered if tofu would work in just a simple baked pasta. So, I gathered my ingredients:
Ingredients:
1 12 oz box of whole wheat pasta (I used penne)
1 block firm tofu
1 lb. ground turkey (I went with turkey sausage and it was perfect!)
1 8 oz package of shredded low-moisture part skim mozzarella cheese
2 jars of your favorite pasta sauce
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Once the water begins to boil, cook the pasta to "firm."
Brown the ground turkey. When the turkey is fully cooked, add the two jars of pasta sauce.
Open the tofu and drain any excess moisture. In a mixing bowl, mash up the tofu and stir in 1 cup (half the 8 oz. package) of mozzarella. Stir/mash until the tofu looks like ricotta cheese.
When the pasta is cooked, drain and return to pot. Mix in the pasta sauce and turkey mixture. Then mix in the tofu and mozzarella mixture.
Pour the mixture into a 9x11 baking sheet. Top with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella.
Baked uncovered until the cheese is melted and the dish is warmed through.
Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
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| It was halfway gone before I thought to take a picture! |
We took the leftovers to some friends' house and several people helped themselves. When I sprung it on them that the "ricotta" was actually tofu they said they never would have guessed.
Needless to say, this much healthier baked pasta was a hit around our house and we will be making it again soon.
Until next time!
