Frugal Meatless Meals: Spicy Thai-Style Noodles with Tofu

This recipe is scrumptious. I know the ingredient list is a mile long, but it really does come together in a snap. Everything except the pasta can easily be prepared hours ahead of time, so it would be perfect for a busy night when all you really have time to do is boil water. Also, I think this dish tastes almost exactly like the super expensive Thai chicken pasta at The Cheesecake Factory (but with tofu, of course). It’s definitely going into our regular meal rotation.

Ingredients (heavily adapted from Simple Vegetarian Pleasures):

For the tofu-
1 lb extra firm tofu
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
About 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, torn into small pieces (optional)
Black pepper to taste
About 1/4 cup plain roasted peanuts, finely chopped
1 bunch green onions, loosely chopped
1 small red pepper, finely chopped

For the noodles-
1/2 lb angelhair pasta
1/4 cup peanut butter, creamy or crunchy
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp tomato sauce
3 tbsp dry sherry (I left this out and the recipe didn’t seem to suffer, but probably would be better with it)
Grated zest of 1 lime
Juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp chili paste with garlic (can be found in the ethnic aisle of most supermarkets–otherwise, substitute red pepper flakes)
2 tbsp canola oil
4 garlic cloves, minced

Directions:
First, dry the tofu with with paper towels or lint-free rags. Slice the tofu into thin strips (don’t worry about being precise) and lay them out in a single layer in a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet. Cook the tofu over medium heat, occasionally pressing down on the slices with a spatula to squeeze out moisture. Flip the tofu and cook until golden brown, using the edge of the spatula to cut slices into smaller ones. While the tofu’s cooking, mix together all of the ingredients in the “tofu” list except for the tofu, peanuts, green onions, and red pepper. Once the tofu has cooked, pour the marinade over the slices and continue cooking until the marinade has soaked into the tofu.

Set a large pot of water to boil on the stove. While it’s heating, mix together all of the ingredients in the “noodles” list except for the pasta. You should use a fork or whisk in order to beat the ingredients together properly. Add the peanuts, green onions, and red pepper to the tofu mixture and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, just until everything has warmed through. Cook your pasta (remember that angelhair cooks much faster than spaghetti!), drain it, and return it to the pot. Add the sauce and stir until well-incorporated, adding a little water if the mixture is too sticky. Add the tofu/vegetable mixture, stir, and serve. Serves 4 generously.

For more meatless meals, please check out the rest of my Frugal Meatless Meals series. You should also visit Meatless Monday’s recipe archive.

This post is linked to Tasty Tuesday and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.