Better than takeout, and on the table in 30 minutes! This vegan pad Thai is packed with flavor, easy enough for a weeknight, but also perfect for special dinners.
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook them according to the package instructions*.
Drain the noodles in a colander then rinse them well with cold water. Drain them well then return them to the pot.
While the noodles cook, stir the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Taste-test the sauce and adjust any seasonings to your liking.
Coat the bottom of a large skillet with 1 tablespoon of oil and place it over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the tofu in an even layer.
Allow the tofu to cook for about 10 minutes, flipping once or twice to brown the pieces on multiple sides.
Remove the tofu from the skillet and transfer it to a plate.
Add another 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet and raise the heat to high.
Add the snap peas, bell pepper and shallot to the skillet. Stir-fry the veggies until they become tender-crisp and intensify in color, about 2 minutes.
Lower the heat a bit. Push the veggies to the side of the skillet and pour the sauce onto the hot cooking surface. Be very careful — the skillet should be hot at this point, and the sauce could sputter.
Let the sauce bubble up for a few seconds, then add the noodles and scallions. Stir-fry for about 1 minute, until the sauce thickens up just a bit, flipping the noodles quickly with a spatula or stirring them with a fork to coat them with the sauce.
Add the tofu to the skillet, flip everything a few times to distribute the tofu, and remove the skillet from the heat.
Top the pad Thai with bean sprouts and peanuts. Divide onto plates and serve with lime wedges.
*Some brands will instruct you to boil the noodles, while others will instruct you to remove the pot from heat and soak the noodles.