Tofu Cacciatore

5.00 (19)
⏱ 90 mins 🍽 8 serving(s) 🏷 Soy/Tofu

This vegetarian take on a classic Italian dish features firm tofu cooked in a savoury sauce of tomatoes, bell peppers, and herbs. Pressing the tofu thoroughly is key to helping it absorb the sauce's deep flavours. The tofu is lightly floured and browned before being baked under a blanket of tomato sauce and cheese. It's a hearty, flavourful main course suitable for a crowd.

Tofu Cacciatore

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs firm tofu
  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 3 (14 1/2 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup flour, for dredging
  • grated parmesan cheese or romano cheese, for topping

Method

  1. Pressing the tofu helps remove extra liquid so it can take on more flavour from the sauce.
  2. Place the tofu block between two plates and weight it down with something heavy like a cast iron pan for 30 minutes.
  3. You can pour off any water and turn the tofu over halfway through the pressing time.
  4. To achieve a denser texture, you can freeze the pressed tofu slices until you need them.
  5. Set your oven to heat to 350 degrees.
  6. Lightly coat a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray and warm it.
  7. Cook the sliced onion and bell peppers in the skillet until they become soft, which takes 5-8 minutes.
  8. Stir in the minced garlic, oregano, basil, and optional red pepper flakes to coat the vegetables.
  9. Pour in the diced tomatoes and add the tomato paste.
  10. Combine everything well and allow the sauce to reach a boil.
  11. Lower the heat, cover the pan, and let the sauce simmer for about 15 minutes.
  12. As the sauce cooks, slice the pressed tofu into pieces that are ½ inch thick.
  13. Combine the flour with a generous amount of salt and pepper.
  14. Spray another nonstick skillet with cooking spray and place it over heat.
  15. Coat each tofu slice in the seasoned flour, tapping to remove any extra.
  16. Cook the slices in the skillet until they are golden on each side, roughly 3 minutes per side.
  17. Monitor the pan's temperature and reduce the heat if it becomes too high.
  18. You will need to cook the tofu in two separate batches.
  19. Apply another coat of cooking spray to the pan before starting the second batch.
  20. Transfer each browned tofu slice to a baking dish, arranging them in one layer.
  21. Cover the tofu with the tomato and pepper sauce, add a generous sprinkle of cheese if you like, and seal the dish with foil.
  22. Bake until everything is hot, which can take from 45 minutes to 1 ½ hours. longer baking allows more flavour to soak into the tofu.
  23. Enjoy the dish while it is still warm.

Nutrition (per serving)

Sodium55100 mg

Recipe details

CategorySoy/Tofu
AuthorKozmic Blues