Mediterranean pasta salad with tofu

We have had a few cold dinners this week, on account of some hot summer days and overly warm summer nights. The nice thing about England is that, generally, the hot weather doesn't last for weeks on end like it does in Australia. The flip side is that air conditioning isn't common here, so when it is hot, you are hot.

For those of you in the northern hemisphere, this Mediterranean pasta salad is perfect for summer nights, barbecues or picnics. It's easy to make ahead and then serve cold. For those of you in the southern hemisphere, I imagine it could work as a warm pasta dish too.

I adapted this from a penne, crispy tofu and green bean salad featured on My Recipes. As you will spot, I swapped out green beans for snow peas (mange tout) and penne pasta for pasta spirals. I also added bell pepper and sun dried tomatoes to the salad, and cooked my tofu in more than just oil because I prefer my tofu seasoned. I made a few tweaks to the salad dressing too, although unfortunately stuck with the recommended 3 cloves of garlic, which Mr Bite and I both agreed was too much! I've listed 2 cloves in the recipe below so you can avoid making the same mistake.

Despite the excess garlic, I enjoyed this and would like to make it again (with less garlic!). It paired well with a green salad topped with avocado, pictured below, and the pasta mix could easily be customised to whatever vegetables you have to hand.

Mediterranean pasta salad with tofu

An easy, cold pasta salad that is perfect for summer but could also be served warm

Vegan

Serves 4 as a main meal

Author: Adapted from a penne, crispy tofu and green bean salad on My Recipes

Print recipe

Ingredients

For the tofu

350g firm tofu, pressed and cut into small squares (about the size you'd expect feta cheese to be in a pasta salad)

Drizzle of olive oil, or spray oil

1 tsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp dried oregano

For the pasta salad

2 cups uncooked penne or spiral pasta

1 pack (160g or approx. 2 cups) snow peas (mange tout)

1 green or red bell pepper, chopped

12 sun-dried tomatoes - mine were large dried strips not in oil - chopped

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tbsp maple syrup

1/2 tbsp water

1 tsp soy sauce

2 garlic cloves, crushed (note that I made this with 3, but we found this to be too much!)

1 tsp dried oregano

Few decent cracks black pepper

Method

Ahead of time (earlier in the day, or the day before) cook your tofu and pasta, to allow them to cool before serving.

To make the tofu, add a drizzle or spray of oil to a non-stick pan and heat on medium-high heat. Add the pressed and cut tofu pieces and cook for approximately 10 minutes, turning every few minutes, until golden. Reduce heat to medium-low and then add the combined red wine vinegar, lemon juice and dried oregano and allow to cook for a further few minutes until absorbed.

Cook the pasta according to pack instructions and then run under cold water to stop it continuing to cook once out of the pan.

To make the salad, combine the cooked and cooled tofu pieces, pasta, snow peas, pepper and sundried tomatoes in a large serving bowl. In a separate small bowl or jug, whisk together the red wine vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, maple syrup, water, soy sauce, crushed garlic, dried oregano and black pepper. Pour this dressing mix over the pasta salad and toss or stir well to distribute evenly.

Recommended with a side green salad and avocado.

Submitted to Healthy Vegan Fridays.

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