This Italian tofu is marinated in a zesty tomato herb sauce and baked to perfection! It's full of flavor and perfect for pairing with pasta, stuffing in a sandwich, or piling on a salad.
Let's get something clear: I will never, ever, ever get tired of of vegan meatballs. I just love them so much!
But I think we can all agree that it's nice to have options! Which is why, I occasionally want a little something different to pair up with my pasta dinners. Sometimes you've just got to switch things up.
Let's just say I'm enjoying a vegan lentil Bolognese for dinner. Do I really want lentil meatballs as my accompaniment? Okay, maybe I do. But I also want this Italian tofu, and if I had to choose between the two, I'd pick the tofu to go with the Bolognese, because variety. Variety is the spice of life, and Italian herbs are the spice of this tofu.
This Italian tofu is great for pairing with pasta in lieu of beanballs, but it's also excellent in a sandwich, on a salad, or just eaten by the forkful as a snack. It's easy too, so you'll want to make it all the time.
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Ingredients You'll Need
- Extra-firm tofu. There are a few tofu varieties that will work for this recipe, from firm to super-firm, but extra firm will give it the ideal balance of texture and ability to soak up the marinade!
- Canned tomato sauce.
- Water.
- Soy sauce. You could substitute gluten-free tamari, which would make the entire recipe gluten-free. Liquid aminos are another option.
- Balsamic vinegar. This recipe works best with a good quality balsamic vinegar that's thick, syrupy, and a tad sweet!
- Olive oil. Leave this out if you prefer to cook without oil.
- Garlic.
- Italian seasoning. Feel free to mix up your own blend of dried oregano, basil, rosemary, and thyme if you don't normally keep Italian seasoning blend on hand.
- Salt & pepper.
- Red pepper flakes. These will add a slight kick to your tofu. You can leave them out if you'd like it milder.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Be sure to press your tofu before you begin. You can find full details on how to press tofu here. Press it for at least 30 minutes! Slice it into squares when it's done.
To make the marinade, stir together your tomato sauce, water, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
Place the tofu squares into a dish and pour the marinade over them. Gently stir to coat them all in the marinade. Let them sit and soak it up for at least 30 minutes.
Tip: You can let your tofu marinate for up to 24 hours. Just be sure to cover the dish and place it in the fridge if marinating them for any length of time over two hours.
Arrange the tofu squares a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and stick them in the oven! They'll bake for a total of forty to fifty minutes. Flip and spoon any excess marinade over them at the halfway mark.
The tofu is done baking when the pieces have darkened and shrunken, and the marinade coating the surface is thick and dry.
Your Italian tofu is ready to enjoy! You can serve it immediately, or let it cool a bit. I actually prefer it cool, after it's had time to sit and firm up.
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover baked tofu will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about four days, or in the freezer for about three months.
More Baked Tofu Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Italian Baked Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 (14 ounce/397 gram) package extra-firm tofu
- ½ cup tomato sauce
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- Pinch black pepper, or to taste
- Pinch red pepper flakes, optional, or to taste
Instructions
- Drain the tofu and press it for at least 30 minutes.
- Cut the tofu into about sixteen squares. First, slice it in half, thickness-wise, then cut each slab into eight squares.
- Place the tofu squares into a shallow dish.
- Stir the tomato sauce, water, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes together in a small bowl or container.
- Pour the tomato sauce mixture over the tofu and gently stir to coat it. Let the tofu marinate for at least 30 minutes (Note 1).
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then arrange the tofu squares in an even layer on the baking sheet.
- Bake the tofu for 40 to 50 minutes, carefully flipping the pieces halfway through and spooning any excess marinade over them.
- The tofu is done when the pieces have darkened and shrunken, and the marinade has thickened and significantly dried up.
- Serve immediately or let the tofu cool before enjoying. The tofu will continue to firm up and improve in texture as it cools.
Notes
- You can let the tofu marinate for up to 24 hours if you'd like. Just be sure to cover and refrigerate it if marinating it for longer than two hours.
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Love these. I sprinkled with cheese before serving.
I have not made this yet , but I'm going to try it today ! It sounds AMAZING !!! Thank you for sharing this recipe 🥰
Can you share why soy sauce is used in this recipe w italian ingredients? Just curious what it adds flavor-wise?
It adds salt and umami. I actually use soy sauce in other Italian recipes as well - it's great in Bolognese!