Tofu Gnudi : a protein pasta recipe

When you fancy pasta but need a high protein meal

Gnudi are traditionally made using ricotta, they're gnocchi's cheesy cousin. I've swapped out the ricotta for tofu so this is the perfect dish when you fancy a bowl of tomato pasta but also want high protein. It's such a satisfying texture: crispy on the outside, soft and pillowy on the inside. The flavour of lemon, garlic and herbs masks the tofu so even haters will enjoy it (I have tested this).

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Ingredients: (serves 4)

Tofu Gnudi:

• 450g firm tofu (I used smoked for extra flavour, it needs to be firmed or properly pressed, the less water the better!)

• 30g herb of choice

• 70g cream cheese (low fat or vegan works well too)

• 400g spinach

• 80g flour, typo 00 preferably

• 1 lemon, zested

• 1 garlic clove, grated or crushed

• Salt & pepper

• EVOO

• Cheese for topping, optional

Tomato sauce:

• 1 onion

• 2 garlic cloves

• 1 tin of plum tomatoes or tomato pulp

• 1 Tbs olive oil

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Method:

Preparing the gnudi:

1. Boil some water, add a good pinch of salt and drop the spinach in. Leave to wilt for 2 minutes then remove from the boiling water and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Keep the water to cook the gnudi later.

2. Squeeze the spinach to remove as much water as possible.

3. Blend the tofu using a stick blender or food processor until smooth.

4. Chop the herb and spinach finely then add it to the tofu along with the lemon zest, the grated garlic, salt and black pepper. Mix to combine then add the flour and knead it in on a floured worktop until it's all combined and forms a ball. It will still be a bit sticky, but don't be tempted to add too much flour as this will make the gnudi too tough when cooked.

5. Wet your hands with cold water and form little balls with the gnudi dough, about the size of 2 mouthfuls.

6. Cook the gnudi in boiling salted water then drain. At this point, you can run them under cold water and store in an oiled container in the fridge until you're ready to eat them.

Tomato sauce:

This is a super simple no fuss tomato sauce that still fully delivers on flavour and satisfaction.

1. Finely dice the onion and thinly slice the garlic.

2. Warm some olive oil in a saucepan then sweat off the onion and garlic on a medium heat for 2 minutes with a pinch of salt.

3. Add the tin of plum tomatoes and crush them with a spoon or fork, rinse out the tin with a bit of water that you can add to the saucepan then simmer the sauce on a low heat for 20-30 minutes.

Finishing the gnudi:

1. Heat up a bit of oil in a frying pan, then add the gnudi and fry off on a high heat until browned on all sides.

2. Serve your protein rich pasta on top of a generous amount of tomato sauce.

3. Finish off with a drizzle of EVOO, and an optional grating of hard cheese.

4. Bon appétit!

VEGAN TIP: Replace the cream cheese with vegan cream cheese or simply don't put in.

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Photos: