There’s nothing like a comforting bowl of pasta, and this recipe has a hidden ingredient that gives this dish a high protein edge on traditional pasta recipes.

Read more: 23 Comforting Vegan Pasta Recipes

To make the sauce for this pasta, recipe developer Natlicious Food used silken tofu. Silken tofu is a type of tofu characterized by its soft, smooth, and creamy texture, which differentiates it from the firmer varieties of tofu that are often used in stir-fries or grilled dishes. Made by coagulating soy milk without curdling it into solid blocks, silken tofu retains a high moisture content and a custard-like consistency. Its delicate structure and mild flavor make it an excellent base for a variety of dishes, including vegan pasta sauces.

In pasta sauce recipes, silken tofu serves as a dairy-free alternative to creams or cheese, providing a rich, creamy texture without the use of animal products. It blends seamlessly into sauces, giving them a velvety consistency that enhances the dish while boosting its nutritional value with added protein, calcium, and iron.

Read more: 25 High Protein Vegan Recipes

Tomato pasta recipe

This silky pasta will be one of the recipes that you will want to turn your oven on this summer, it's packed with protein and it bursts with flavour!

A plate of high protein spaghetti made with silken tofu

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Servings people

Ingredients

1 garlic bulb
600 g cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp chili flakes
350 g silken tofu
1 tbsp capers
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
500 g pasta (I used linguine)

Instructions

Cut a thin slice off the garlic bulb to expose slightly the cloves and place it a in baking tray along with the cherry tomatoes, the balsamic vinegar, the olive oil, season with salt and pepper and half of the oregano and chilli flakes.
Cover with foil and bake for an hour, in preheated oven at 180°C.
Just before the tomatoes are ready, cook your pasta in salted water according to the package instructions and keep 100-150ml of pasta water on the side.
In a food processor or blender, add most of the cooked tomatoes (keep few for decoration), add the silken tofu, nutritional yeast, the rest of the seasonings, squeeze the garlic out of the bulb, the capers and some of the pasta water and blend until smooth.
Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if needed, then pour it over your cooked and drained pasta.
Combine well and cook for a couple of minutes. If needed, add some of that pasta water you kept aside.
Serve with some cherry tomatoes, capers, basil leaves and vegan cheese.

This recipe was republished with permission from Natlicious Food. You can view the original recipe here.