Marry Me Tofu Bake

Marry Me Tofu Bake

from veganricha.com
Casserole
40 min
4 servings
291 kcal / serving

Marry me tofu bake is like a high protein plant-based lasagna style bake. Tofu, creamy smoky sauce, spinach sun-dried tomato tofu ricotta, and no pasta! It is a layered tofu bake like my tofu parmigiana. Easy to make all in one baking dish!

Ingredients

  • 15 ouncesfirm or extra-firm tofu (pressed for at least 15 minutes and sliced into 12 or more slices)
  • 3 tablespoonsraw cashews (soaked for 10 minutes, or use hemp seeds for nutfree )
  • 2 ouncesfirm tofu
  • 10 ouncespasta sauce (or marinara sauce)
  • ¼ teaspoonsalt
  • 1 teaspoonsmoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoonsnutritional yeast
  • 8 ouncesfrozen spinach (thawed, lightly squeezed, and then weighed)
  • 2 ouncesfirm tofu
  • ½ cupvegan mozzarella
  • 2 teaspoonsitalian seasoning
  • 2 tablespoonschopped sun-dried tomato
  • 1 teaspoongarlic powder
  • 1 teaspoononion powder
  • ½ teaspoonred pepper flakes
  • ½ teaspoonsalt
  • ½ teaspoonblack pepper
  • 2 tablespoonsbreadcrumbs ( use gluten-free if needed )
  • vegan parmesan, or mozzarella (optional)
  • 1 teaspoonolive oil (for drizzling)
  • 4 ouncessliced mushrooms (or thinly sliced vegetables such as peppers or zucchini)

Directions

  1. 1

    Press and slice the tofu if you haven't already. The tofu for the sauce and spinach filling don’t need to be pressed. Just slice and set aside. Slice up your vegetables or mushrooms, if using, and set them aside.

  2. 2

    To make the creamy sauce, add all sauce ingredients to a blender with 1/2 cup of water. Blend for 1 minute, let sit for 2–3 minutes, then blend again for 30 seconds until, repeating until creamy. If the sauce is too thick, add 2 to 3 more tablespoons of water at a time and blend again. Set aside.

  3. 3

    To make the filling, add the spinach to a bowl and crumble the tofu into it. Add the remaining filling ingredients and mix well, pressing slightly to combine. Set aside.

  4. 4

    Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). In an 8x10” or similar-sized baking dish, spread some of the creamy pasta sauce at the bottom using a spatula. Layer in some vegetables, if using. Add a layer of tofu slices, spacing them about 1/2”, so the the filling can get between the tofu slices. Top with the spinach ricotta mixture, then add another layer of creamy sauce, followed by more mushrooms or vegetables, another tofu layer, and more spinach ricotta mixture topped with dollops of any remaining sauce. Depending on the size of your baking dish, you make get 1, 2, or 3 layers of the tofu, so do one more layer of sauce, tofu, and spinach ricotta mixture, if you have more. Add a few spoons of the smoky sauce on top.

  5. 5

    Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top along with some black pepper, red pepper flakes, if you like, and the optional vegan parmesan. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. After 15 minutes, place a piece of parchment paper over the dish, so the top doesn’t get overly golden or dry out.

  6. 6

    Remove the pan from the oven, and let sit for 5 minutes. Then, slice and serve this hot and delicious marry me tofu as is or garnished with fresh basil, and serve with toasted sourdough, over pasta, or however you like.