Marry Me Tofu Bake (no pasta lasagna)

Marry me tofu bake is sort of a excessive protein plant-based lasagna model bake. Tofu, creamy smoky sauce, spinach sun-dried tomato tofu ricotta, and no pasta! It’s a layered tofu bake like my tofu parmigiana. Straightforward to make multi function baking dish. Over 20 gm protein! Choices for gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free

My husband loves my tofu parmesan bake, and so did you guys, as a result of plenty of you’ve made that one and variations of it since I first posted it. It’s principally like a lasagna with this scrumptious spinach ricotta filling and a few pasta sauce, all layered up however with tofu slices as a substitute of lasagna noodles. It’s a hearty dish that’s straightforward to make and might be served in varied methods.

For this marry me tofu bake, I modified up the fillings. I used the flavors from my marry me pasta and made this creamy smoky sauce and the an umami stuffed ricotta filling to create one thing new and scrumptious. It has this unbelievable, smoky rose-style sauce. Then, we make the spinach ricotta filling, however we additionally add sun-dried tomato and a few warmth to it for a richer deeper umami taste.

Collectively, all of those flavors create a form of a marry me pasta taste profile, however in a parmigiana form of format. This bake is hearty, scrumptious, and everyone’s going to maintain stepping into for seconds. And thirds!

It’s a high-protein dish, as a result of we use tofu layers as a substitute of lasagna noodles, add tofu to our spinach ricotta filling and even within the creamy pasta sauce. The pasta sauce will get its creaminess from protein-rich cashews and tofu. So, there’s protein in every component of this dish. In case you don’t need to use cashews for the sauce, you need to use hemp seeds or silken tofu as one other supply of protein. There’s additionally dietary yeast within the sauce, which provides much more protein to every serving to, making every serving tremendous satisfying and scrumptious.

You may serve this with some sourdough or entire grain bread for much more protein, or over lentil spaghetti or lentil pasta for an additional protein increase.

Why You’ll Love Marry Me Tofu

• tremendous easy, 1-pan, weeknight meal
• bakes within the oven, so little or no energetic cooking time
• tofu in creamy, smoky, marry me cream sauce
• excessive protein dinner
• straightforward gluten-free, nut-free, and soy-free choices

Substances

• tofu – Use agency or additional agency tofu, and press it for no less than quarter-hour, then slice it into round 12 items. For a soy-free model, you need to use cooked lasagna sheets as a substitute of the tofu. You’ll be including extra tofu to the sauce and use it to make the filling. You may change this tofu, as properly, if wanted. When omitting the tofu within the filling, change it with extra vegan cheese or chickpea flour tofu. While you omit the tofu within the sauce, add 1 extra tablespoon of cashews for additional creaminess.
• cashews – To make the sauce creamy. Be sure to soak them in sizzling water for 10 minutes to melt them. For nut-free, use hemp seeds as a substitute.
• pasta sauce – Use a superb pasta or marinara sauce. You may make your individual or use jarred sauce. Be sure jarred sauce doesn’t comprise butter, cheese, or different dairy components.
• salt and seasonings – For the smoky marry me tofu sauce, you’re utilizing salt, smoked paprika, and dietary yeast. The spinach filling makes use of Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
• veggies – The filling makes use of frozen spinach and chopped sun-dried tomato. Be sure to thaw, drain, and squeeze the spinach earlier than weighing it. You may optionally add sliced mushrooms or different thinly sliced greens, like bell peppers or zucchini for a extra plant-forward dish.
• vegan cheese – The spinach filling makes use of somewhat vegan mozzarella, and you’ll optionally high the marry me tofu casserole with somewhat vegan parmesan. Be sure your cheese is nut-free and/or soy-free, if wanted.
• breadcrumbs – For topping. Use gluten-free, if wanted.
• olive oil – A little bit drizzle of oil on high of the marry me tofu bake helps the breadcrumbs get good and crispy.

How one can Make Marry Me Tofu Casserole

Press and slice the tofu in the event you haven’t already. The tofu for the sauce and spinach filling don’t have to be pressed. Simply slice and put aside. Slice up your greens or mushrooms, if utilizing, and set them apart.

To make the creamy sauce, add all sauce components to a blender with 1/2 cup of water. Mix for 1 minute, let sit for two–3 minutes, then mix once more for 30 seconds till, repeating till creamy. If the sauce is just too thick, add 2 to three extra tablespoons of water at a time and mix once more. Put aside.

To make the filling, add the spinach to a bowl and crumble the tofu into it.

Add the remaining filling components and blend properly, urgent barely to mix. Put aside.

Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). In an 8×10” or similar-sized baking dish, unfold among the creamy pasta sauce on the backside utilizing a spatula. Layer in some greens, if utilizing.

Add a layer of tofu slices, spacing them about 1/2”, so the the filling can get between the tofu slices. Prime with the spinach ricotta combination.

Then, add one other layer of creamy sauce, adopted by extra mushrooms or greens, and one other tofu layer.

Prime with extra spinach ricotta combination topped with dollops of any remaining sauce. Relying on the scale of your baking dish, you make get 1, 2, or 3 layers of the tofu, so do another layer of sauce, tofu, and spinach ricotta combination, in case you have extra.

Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on high of the final spinach ricotta layer together with some black pepper, purple pepper flakes, in the event you like, and the non-obligatory vegan parmesan. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 25 to half-hour. After quarter-hour, place a bit of parchment paper over the dish, so the highest doesn’t get overly golden or dry out.

Take away the pan from the oven, and let sit for five minutes.

Then, slice and serve this sizzling and scrumptious marry me tofu as is or garnished with recent basil.

Serve with toasted sourdough, over pasta, or nonetheless you want.

What to Serve with Marry Me Tofu

Serve this sizzling, scrumptious marry me tofu as is or garnished with recent basil, and serve with toasted sourdough, over pasta, or nonetheless you want.