Korean Spicy Tofu Spaghetti

A few weeks ago, M and I were wanting to change up our weeknight dinner routine. Despite the occasional home made pizza or chicken tacos, it almost undoubtedly always consists of a  vegetable stir-fry and pasta with marinara sauce. The main reason being that they are easy. Without much thought or prep we can have dinner on the table in no time. Although it is easy and of course tasty, eventually it seems boring.

So what do you do when you are still wanting an easy weeknight meal and a big bowl of carbs, yet want to try something new? Well you have clicked on this recipe, so you probably already know the answer to that: ASIAN ITALIAN MASH UP! Mash ups are great, you get the best of two worlds. The flavours and textures combine to create a new experience, yet allow you the comfort of familiarity.

The prep work for this dish starts with pressing your tofu. Tofu is quite wet which means if you want to get a nice crunch on the outside, it is near impossible. By pressing the tofu between a towel, the excess moisture will be removed. This is an important step so don’t skip it!

Next is making the sauce. My usual go to for stir frys is just adding a bit of this and a bit of that until it tastes like I want it to. The same goes with this sauce, if you want more zing- add more vinegar; if you want more spice had more pepper paste/sauce. The key to enjoying the food you make, is cooking to your taste buds. The one part of this sauce you are probably questioning is the apple. It seems weird as you are doing it, but trust me it makes the tofu so much better. By grating it finely and removing the excess water, the apple imparts an added texture and helps to bulk up the sauce.

Now it is time to cook the tofu. Make sure your pan is hot, the oil should sizzle when you drop in the tofu. If the oil is not hot enough, the tofu will instead absorb all the oil-which we do not want! As the tofu is browning, make sure the noodles and all toppings are ready to go. Once the sauce is added, it will immediately begin to bubble and only take a minute or two to come together. The cornstarch will ensure it thickens and coats the tofu for a yummy saucy top to your soba. Serve immediately, top with green onion and sesame seeds and enjoy.

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Korean Spicy Tofu Spaghetti

October 20, 2019

Servings: 2

Prep: 30 min

Cook: 10 min

Total: 40 min

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By: ME

Ingredients

• 1 package (350g) firm tofu
• 180g soba noodles
• 2 green onions, diced
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• canola oil
• sesame oil
• Sauce:
• 1 cup plain tomato sauce
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp chili garlic sauce (sambal or gochujang)
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1.5 tbsp finely grated apple, with excess water squeezed out
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 inch nob ginger, finely grated
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• salt
• 6 drops liquid smoke (optional)

Directions

• Step 1 Cut tofu into 1inch rectangles, and place between paper towel. Top with heavy pot and leave for about 30 minutes for the paper towel to absorb the water.
• Step 2 Boil water in large pot. Cook soba noodles until aldente. Rinse in cold water and leave aside.
• Step 3 Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
• Step 4 Cut the tofu into cubes and place in a medium sized bowl, add cornstarch and stir until cubes are fully covered.
• Step 5 In a wok or large frying pan add enough canola oil to coat the bottom with 1 tsp of sesame oil and bring to a medium-high temperature. Once hot, remove excess cornstarch from tofu and add to the pan.
• Step 6 Fry on all sides until brown.
• Step 7 Add sauce and cook for about 2 minutes to coat. It will start bubbling, which is good!
• Step 8 Top with sesame seeds and green onions. Serve over soba noodles and enjoy.