it was the start of a long week without my partner—he was away visiting family, and i had the house to myself for what felt like an eternity. feeling lonely and bored, i decided it was time to indulge in some of my favorite flavors that he didn’t particularly enjoy by way of an olive pasta.
with a devilish grin, i opened the fridge and my pantry and pulled out all of the ingredients i needed: tofu, mushrooms, olives, herbs, and spices! he also hated spicy food but tonight? tonight would be different.
i got right to work as soon as everything was laid out before me; chopping onions with fervor and sautéing them until they were caramelized in their own sweetness.
the smell filled my kitchen as i added garlic cloves and let them sizzle in the pan before adding mushrooms—a flavor he always complained about. moving forward with confidence i then threw cubes of firm tofu into the mix along with briny green olives which are his least favorite ingredient by far.
finally came a generous amount of chili flakes for heat followed by fresh parsley for garnish.
the aroma coming from the pan made my mouth water even though it wasn’t intended to please him—it was meant just for me!
after tossing cooked pasta into the pan and stirring everything together vigorously one last time, it was ready: tofu mushroom & olive spicy pasta! taking one bite confirmed what i already knew—this dish tasted heavenly despite its unconventional combination of flavors.
filled with satisfaction at having finally cooked something truly delicious just for myself (even if only temporarily), i took another huge bite…just because i could!
leave us a comment if you try this pasta and tell us what you think. don’t miss all our other recipes for more ai-assisted cooking opportunities.
ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti or other long pasta
- 1 block 14-ounce extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1 small onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup canned green olives pitted and sliced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
instructions
- cook the pasta according to package directions, drain, and set aside.
- cut the pressed tofu into bite-sized cubes.
- in a dry non-stick skillet, sauté the tofu over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown on all sides.
- remove the tofu from the skillet and set it aside.
- in the same skillet, add the vegetable broth, diced onions, minced garlic, dried basil, dried thyme, red pepper flakes (if using), salt, and black pepper. cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender and the broth is slightly thickened.
- add the sliced olives to the skillet and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- return the cooked tofu to the skillet and stir to combine with the onion-olive mixture.
- add the cooked pasta and chopped parsley to the skillet and toss everything together until the pasta is coated with the flavorful sauce.
notes
- cherry tomatoes, halved
- spinach leaves
- sliced bell peppers (red, yellow, or green)
- sliced zucchini or yellow squash
- chopped broccoli florets
- sliced mushrooms
how did our tofu, mushroom, and olive pasta turn out?
we really enjoyed this dish. beware that this isn’t a super saucy pasta, and that any leftovers will absorb the liquid by the next day.
