Spicy and bursting with smokey and zesty flavor, this Arrabiata sauce with tofu dinner recipe takes about 5 minutes to prepare and will leave your mouth watering for more! Since it is so easy to make, it makes a great meatless Monday meal or vegan dinner idea!
What Is Arrabiata Sauce?
Spelled arrabiata or arrabbiata, this spicy tomato sauce originated in Rome, Italy. It consists of tomatoes, garlic and dried chili peppers, and is known for it’s spiciness.
How Spicy Is It?
Arrabbiata actually translates loosely to “angry” or “enraged”, so it can definitely get HOT! Decrease the amount of peppers you use, or you can swap them out for a small pinch of red chili flakes if you want to decrease the spiciness.
Is This A Traditional Arrabiata Sauce Recipe?
No, this recipe is not traditional. We add some cashews and tahini into the sauce to make it a little creamier and to add some added health benefits of nuts. We also use smoked Serrano pepper, where traditionally a dried red chili pepper would be used.
How TO Make Arrabiata Sauce And Tofu
I’m going to break it down REALLY simple here, but make sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe!
- Press, cube and bake the tofu.
- In a blender or food processor, toss in the canned peeled tomatoes and their sauce, garlic cloves, smoked dried serrano chilies, toasted bread slice, vinegar, cashews, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and tahini. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the arrabiata sauce into a large sauce pan. Bring the sauce to a low simmer, then add the baked tofu. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Garnish with parsley.
What Are The Health Benefits Of These Ingredients?
If you don’t already know, this is a mostly Mediterranean Diet blog. On the Mediterranean diet, you are encouraged to try to eat at least one meatless meal a week, since cutting down on meat has been associated with a decreased risk of a variety of diseases, including heart disease.
So this recipe is not only a great meatless meal idea, but it also has a ton of other health benefits because we use a variety of healthy foods to make the sauce.
| Tomatoes | Tomatoes are a major source of the antioxidant lycopene, which has been linked to potentially reducing the risk of heart disease and cancer. They are also a good source of vitamin C for immune health, and vitamin K for blood clotting and bone health. |
| Garlic | We use a lot of garlic in this recipe, which is great because garlic is loaded with antioxidants and potential antiviral properties. |
| Dried Serrano Peppers | Serrano peppers contain capsaicin, which is studied for it’s potential cholesterol-lowering properties that are beneficial for a healthy heart. It is also high in vitamin C! |
| Extra Virgin Olive Oil | Rich in heart healthy fats like the monounsaturated fat oleic acid, which has been linked to several health benefits like the potential to help protect against heart disease. It is also high in vitamins E and K, and is a great source of antioxidants! |
| Cashews | Cashews are rich in fiber and protein. They are also a good source of manganese, zinc, copper and vitamin K. |
| Tahini | Tahini, or toasted sesame seed paste, is a good source of phosphorous and thiamine and B6. About 50% of the fat in tahini comes from monounsaturated fatty acids which have anti-inflammatory properties. |
Interested in learning more about the Mediterranean Diet? Check out my post “What Is The Mediterranean Diet? Food List, Evidence Based Research“
How TO Store Arrabiata Sauce
What TO Serve With This Sauce
In this recipe we serve it with barley, but there are a ton of options that you can serve with this healthy tofu recipe!
More Tomato Recipes That You Will Love
If you like this recipe, you will love these other delicious tomato dinner recipes!
Did you make this recipe? It would mean so much to me if you would rate it below the recipe card and tag me in your creation on Instagram so I can admire your work! @RecipeHippie
Arrabiata Sauce With Tofu
Equipment
- Blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 16 oz extra firm tofu (you may want more if serving family of 4, there will be plenty of sauce so feel free to double the tofu!)
- 28 oz can of peeled plum tomatoes
- 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 2-3 dried smoked serrano chilies, stems removed
- 1 piece toasted bread
- 1 tbsp red or rose wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup unsalted cashews
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1/8 cup tahini
- 1 tbsp minced parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent tofu from sticking.
To Bake The Tofu
- Take the tofu out of its container and place it on a few folded up paper towels or a clean dish towel. Place another folded paper towel or clean dish towel over the top of the slab of tofu, and place something heavy on top. Let the tofu rest for at least 15 minutes to drain the absorbed water, then slice it into cubes.
- Toss the cubed tofu onto a baking sheet, and bake in the oven for 25 minutes untouched.
To Make The Arrabiata Sauce
- In a blender or food processor, toss in the canned peeled tomatoes and their sauce, garlic cloves, smoked dried serrano chilies, toasted bread slice, vinegar, cashews, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and tahini. Blend for at least 60 seconds, until a smooth sauce forms.
To Make The Full Meal
- Pour the arrabiata sauce into a large sauce pan. Bring the sauce to a low simmer, then add the baked tofu. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Garnish with parsley. Serve over your grain of choice and enjoy!
Notes
- If you are making this for a family of 4 and don’t think that 16 ounces of tofu will fill you all up, feel free to double the tofu! You will have plenty of sauce, so you will not need to double the sauce.
- To Store The Sauce – Allow the sauce to come to room temperature before pouring it into an airtight container or glass jar. Keep in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.
- To Freeze The Sauce- Allow the sauce to come to room temperature before storing in an airtight container or ziplock freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, transfer the container of sauce to the refrigerator the night before. I would not freeze it with the tofu, as tofu does not freeze well.
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