Tofu Tagine Pasta (Can be Gluten-Free!)

Another grey day in Iowa, another perfect excuse to spend a lot of time in the kitchen making new recipes :) These grey days aren't bothering me so much anymore! Bad weather = excuse to stay in and bake/cook = happiness. Ah, the simple things in life. Today's lunch was inspired by a recipe I saw in Cosmo a few months back: Chicken Tagine. It looked really good for a lunch or dinner, except that little problem of chicken not being quite vegan. Buuuut, a little bit of tofu solves that problem! After subbing the tofu for the chicken and making a few not-exactly-minor tweaks to the recipe, I came out with a tofu recipe that is great on its own, and awesome in a pasta dish. The tofu needs to marinate for a long time, so it can absorb a nice flavor--so it's best to begin preparing this dish 8-24 hours ahead of time. Here's the recipe for a fancy-schmancy lunch or dinner, serves 4 people.

Ingredients for the Tofu Tagine:

1 block extra-firm tofu

2 cups vegetable broth

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon parsley flakes

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon spanish paprika

1 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions for the Tofu Tagine

Drain the tofu and pat it dry with a napkin. Cut it into strips, about 1 inch wide, 1/2 inch thick, and 4 inches tall. Set aside on a paper towel.

Pour the vegetable broth into a bread loaf pan, and stir in all of the remaining ingredients listed above except the olive oil.

Place the tofu strips into the vegetable broth marinade, and refrigerate 8 to 24 hours. (I let it sit for about 15 hours)

After the tofu has been marinating for 8+ hours, preheat the oven to 350. Bake the tofu for 25 minutes; this really locks in the flavor.

When the tofu comes out of the oven, drain the marinade liquid and, using tongs, gently place the tofu strips on paper towels.

Now, heat up a large frying pan over medium heat, and coat it with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Fry the tofu strips for a couple minutes on each side, until they reach a golden color.

Remove from the heat and set aside. Your tofu is done! Now for the remainder of the pasta dish ingredients...

Pasta Dish Ingredients

1 package (8 oz) fettuccine (I used DeBoles brand gluten-free rice fettuccine)

1/2 zucchini

4 large baby portabella mushrooms

1 lemon

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Pasta Dish Directions

Cook the fettuccine according to package directions, in salted water.

While the pasta is cooking, slice the zucchini and mushrooms into small, bite-sized pieces.

Heat a frying pan over medium heat, lightly coat it with a little bit of olive oil, and stir-fry the zucchini and mushrooms for about 5 minutes. Then, remove from heat and set aside.

Drain the pasta and portion it onto 4 plates or bowls.

Squeeze a little bit of lemon juice over the pasta, to taste.

Distribute the tofu, mushrooms, and zucchini into each bowl on top of the pasta. Add salt and pepper to each bowl, to taste. Garnish with a bit of lemon zest, if desired.

Serve warm, and enjoy!!