Did somebody say Italian? Mmm… Impress your dinner guests with this plant-based, soy-free, Italian dish.
When I first discovered this chickpea “tofu” I was incredibly excited! Those of us eating plant-based diets can be guilty of including a large amount of soy in our daily meals. Am I against soy? No, but I try not to have it at every meal, because you know what they say about too much of a good thing. Plus, its just nice to switch things up every now and then.
The original recipe for the tofu I found here. When I first came crossed it, I had to test it out immediately to see if it was as good as I’d hope, and it was! Maybe it was the consistency of the batter before it sets, but it reminded me to polenta, even a little by taste. This of course made me think, Italian! I loved this because I don’t feel like regular tofu is often compatible with Italian foods.
Once I got it in my head that I wanted to use this for an Italian style dish, I thought about a dish I’d done in the past with roasted veggies over quinoa. Only this time I decided to use spaghetti squash instead. I love using spaghetti squash because I feel like I’m having pasta, but without all those complex carbs, and it’s a great gluten-free option for my amazing husband as well.
To kick up the Italian flavor a notch, I added some dried basil to the “tofu” batter, and then once it was set and cut into squares, I tossed them in a tofu marinade, which I’ve altered slightly from this recipe here, and then let them crisp up in the air fryer. I tried these basil chickpea tofu squares air fried, without the marinade as well, and they were oh so yummy! If you don’t have an air fryer, alternative cooking instructions are provided as well.
I loved the flavors in this dish so much, and after dinner that night immediately posted it on a recipe site I’m included in on Facebook. Two days later, someone commented on my post saying, “Thank you! This was delicious! Even my non vegetarians loved it!” That right there is reassurance of a successful vegan dish. When the omnivores love it too, you’re gold! If you love it to, please comment below, or take a pic and tag me on Instagram, @veggiesattiffanis.
Chickpea “Tofu” and Roasted Italian Veggies Over Spaghetti Squash
Ingredients
Chickpea “Tofu”:
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup chickpea flour garbanzo bean flour, besan flour
- 1 teaspoon fine-ground sea salt
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- Black pepper to taste
- 1 Tbsp dried basil
Tofu Marinade :
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp garlic minced
- 1 tsp rosemary finely chopped (I used fresh because I had it but dried works as well)
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 splash lemon juice
Spaghetti Squash:
- 1 large spaghetti squash sliced lengthwise and rubbed down with olive oil
- 1 cup white wine
- 3/4 cube vegan margarine If trying to keep this dish soy-free, make sure to check your margarine ingredients. I know one is available by Earth Balance. All Earth Balance is nut-free.
- 4 large garlic cloves minced
- sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/4-1/2 cup chopped fresh basil plus more for topping
- 1/4 cup **Follow Your Heart Vegan Parmesan Shreds, or vegan parmesan of choice plus more for topping (optional, you could always use another brand vegan parmesan, your own, or could try just using a little nutritional yeast)
Veggies:
- 1/2 yellow onion sliced
- 1 head broccolini
- 1 package grape or cherry tomatoes
- 1 Chinese eggplant or half an Italian eggplant, cubed, salted, rinsed, and pressed to dry
- olive oil enough to drizzle over veggies
- 1 1/2 Tbsp garlic minced
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper freshly ground is best
- 1/4 tsp dried basil
- 1/4 tsp red chili flakes more or less depending on your spice level preference
- 1 Tbsp **Follow Your Heart Parmesan Shreds, or vegan Parmesan of choice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F
- Oil a 9″ square baking dish (I just use cooking spray), or line it with parchment paper. Add all the “tofu” ingredients to a pot over medium-high heat and whisk constantly until mixture thickens. It will look similar to polenta. Once thickened, transfer tofu mixture to your baking dish. Using a spatula, make sure its distributed evenly and smooth on top. Set aside, it will become firm as it sits.
- Place your oiled spaghetti squash halves on a foil lined baking sheet, cut side down. Place in the oven and cook for about 30 minutes. You want to make sure it’s not quite done. Firm, but cooked enough to come out with a fork.
- Whisk together all marinade ingredients inside a large bowl. After the “tofu” has sat for about 20 – 30 minutes, remove from dish by either lifting sides of parchment paper and pulling out, or by carefully flipping upside down. Now you can cut your “tofu” into bite-sized cubes. Place them into the bowl with the marinade and toss to coat. Set aside.
- Spread your veggies out over a large baking sheet, covered in foil and lightly oiled. Drizzled olive oil over veggies. Next sprinkle them with the minced garlic, distributing as evenly as possible. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, dried basil, chili flakes, and vegan parmesan shreds. Roast in oven for about 25 minutes, flipping veggies half way.
- After the veggies have cooked for about 10 minutes, preheat your *air fryer to 370°F. Once preheated, place in chickpea “tofu”. I used an additional rack to avoid over crowding them. Air fry for about 10 minutes, flipping or shaking after the first 5, and checking again after 8. You want them crisp but not burnt.
- Once the veggies and “tofu” are almost done, pour the wine into a large skillet, over medium heat, and wait a couple minutes to cook out alcohol. Add the margarine and garlic. Sauté until butter is melted and garlic is starting to brown. Add the remaining spaghetti squash ingredients and cook until squash is tender.
- To serve, lay some spaghetti squash out on your plate, top with veggies, then chickpea “tofu”, and sprinkle with vegan Parmesan shreds and chopped fresh basil. Enjoy!