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Moroccan Tofu in a Lemon-Olive Sauce over Spaghetti

 
This is our new favorite dish. I only came up with it a couple of weeks ago and we’ve already had it 3 times! To me, that’s a good judge of how good it is.
I love Moroccan flavors: the heat of cumin, the brightness of coriander, the spice of cinnamon and the tangy salt of olives. This sauce only takes minutes to cook but the flavors are rich and deep.
We like it over pasta but this would also taste great over rice or cous cous. This dish is gluten-free but if that’s not an issue for you, it can also be made with seitan.
When you’re eating this, don’t set those lemon slices that have been cooking in the sauce to the side. Take them and suck them. Trust me on this. They are delicious!
 
My Moroccan Tofu in a Lemon-Olive Sauce over Spaghetti is a beautiful dish for Spring. It’s colorful, it’s light (this is low in calories), and it’s decadent. Enjoy!

Moroccan Tofu in a Lemon-Olive Sauce over Spaghetti

 

1 lb. brown rice spaghetti


1 block extra-firm tofu, pressed and drained


¼ cup chickpea flour


½ tsp. Kosher salt


¼ tsp. black pepper


1 tsp. garlic powder


1 tsp. dried thyme


2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil, divided


1 large onion, thinly sliced


4 cloves garlic, minced


2 lemons


2 fresh bay leaves


2 tsp. turmeric


2 tsp. ground cumin


2 tsp. ground coriander


1 cinnamon stick


3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth


½ cup pitted green olives


2 Tbs. fresh parsley, chopped

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the spaghetti according to the package directions until al dente.

Cut the tofu into bite-sized chunks or slices. In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder and thyme. Add the tofu to the flour mix and toss to coat.

Heat 1 Tbs. of the oil in a large skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat. Shake off any excess flour and cook the tofu until browned on all sides, about 3 minutes each side.

Add the onions and garlic to the pan and stir to mix with the tofu. Cut one of the lemons into slices and add them, along with the bay leaves, to the pan. Add the spices, vegetable stock and olives to the pan. Stir often while letting the liquid reduce by half. You want to have enough sauce to cover the pasta. If you need more sauce, add more broth.

When the sauce has reduced and thickened, turn off the heat. Remove the bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Add the juice of the 2nd lemon and stir in the parsley.

Divide the spaghetti into serving bowls. Top with the tofu and sauce. Make sure everyone gets some lemon slices from the sauce in their bowl.


The “V” Word: Say it. Eat it. Live it.

 

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10 Responses to Moroccan Tofu in a Lemon-Olive Sauce over Spaghetti

  1. Melanie August 11, 2015 at 7:31 am #

    I made this last night and it was so delicious! I made it exactly as you did, though I used regular fettuccine noodles because it’s what I had on hand. The flavors are all fabulous and I am looking forward to having some of the leftovers for lunch today. 🙂

    • Rhea August 11, 2015 at 6:13 pm #

      Hi Melanie, that’s one of my favorites! I can’t believe I used to hate lemon because now I love it especially on pasta. I’m so glad you liked it. xoxo

  2. Bob March 10, 2015 at 9:03 pm #

    Hi Rhea!
    I made this for dinner tonight. It was such a nice light combination. I didn’t have green olives, so I used kalamata. It worked well with the spices. Another winner from you, of course! xoxo

    • Rhea March 14, 2015 at 11:04 am #

      Hey Bob, I’m so glad you liked it. It’s one of my favorites too! xoxo

  3. Gary June 16, 2013 at 10:17 am #

    Made this tonight. It was delicious, filling, and infused with interesting flavors!

  4. Rhea Parsons May 7, 2013 at 2:13 am #

    Hi Nancy,

    In this recipe I don’t remove the tofu before making the sauce. If the tofu is pressed well and then cooked to be crispy, it will not fall apart.

    But you can certainly remove the tofu after you have cooked it and keep in it a 200 degree oven until the sauce is made. Then you could either return it to the pan after the sauce is ready or just put it atop the pasta and ladle sauce over it.

    The tofu gets a different flavor and texture if it sits in the sauce. Sorry it crumbled. My tofu used to fall apart a lot unti I got a Tofu Xpress – my favorite gadget.

  5. Nancy May 6, 2013 at 10:22 pm #

    I made this delicious dish last night. Unfortunately, nowhere did the recipe say to remove the tofu after browning and set it aside, so after I added the onions, garlic, lemon, spices, broth and onions to the pan and the tofu was still in it and crumbling. The instructions for plating imply that the tofu and sauce are two separate things. Can you clarify so I make it right the next time? And believe me, there will be a next time, and one after that and one after that… wonderful dish.

  6. Veggie Diva (Kimberly Moore) April 15, 2013 at 10:51 am #

    Made this tonight 🙂 Very refreshing

  7. KayRiviello April 13, 2013 at 6:34 am #

    Wow!! I cant wait to make this!

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