Tofu Parmigiana

In our house, tofu is not the backbone of our cooking: we love meat and that is not going to change. But now and then I like to vary the ingredients a little and try new textures.

For a long time I was wary of using tofu as the main element of a dish. This time I took the plunge with tofu parmigiana, reckoning it would be well set off that way.

A pleasant surprise: the whole family loved it, and we could hardly tell it from chicken, save perhaps for the texture.

This tofu parmigiana is genuinely delicious and easy to make — a lovely way to start cooking with tofu. It goes with pasta, or simply with a salad.

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What you need to make this tofu parmigiana:

Firm tofu — the star of the dish; it is dried on kitchen paper before slicing, which lets the flour stick and the coating hold.
Flour, beaten eggs and parmesan breadcrumbs — the classic three-step coating that gives the tofu its golden crust; mixing the parmesan straight into the breadcrumbs makes that crust even tastier.
Olive oil — used twice: to soften the onion and garlic for the sauce, then to brown the coated tofu slices in the pan.
Onion and garlic — the aromatic base of the homemade tomato sauce.
Diced tomatoes, tomato purée and tomato paste — together they give the sauce its body and depth of flavour.
Thyme — it flavours the sauce as it simmers gently.
Salt and pepper — to season both the sauce and the tofu at every step.
Mozzarella — it melts on top to finish the dish under the grill.

Why this tofu parmigiana must be on your menu!

Quick and easy: 25 minutes of prep, 30 minutes of cooking, nothing complicated.
A weeknight dish that needs no prior experience with tofu.
A great way into tofu: even meat-lovers won't notice the difference.
The breaded, melted-cheese finish is very close to a chicken parmigiana.
Vegetarian without sacrificing flavour: perfect for a meat-free meal the whole table will enjoy.
The homemade tomato sauce and the melted mozzarella make all the difference.
Versatile: serve it with pasta, or simply with a salad.
Plenty of room to change up the side dishes depending on the mood.

Photo coming soon

Tofu Parmigiana

Firm tofu breaded with parmesan and pan-fried golden, topped with a thyme-scented tomato sauce and grilled under mozzarella.

Prep 25 min

Cook 30 min

Total time 55 min

Course: Main course Cuisine: Italian Keyword: Tofu parmigiana Calories:

Ingredients

Servings: 4 servings

Instructions

The sauce — Chop the onion and garlic. In a large pan, heat the olive oil and cook the onions and garlic until lightly golden.
Add the diced tomatoes, the passata and the tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the thyme and keep cooking over low heat for about 20 minutes. Set aside.
The tofu — Preheat the oven to 190 °C (375 °F). Dry the tofu on kitchen paper, cut it into 8 slices, then season with salt and pepper.
Set out 3 shallow dishes: flour in the first, beaten eggs in the second, breadcrumbs mixed with parmesan in the third.
Pass the tofu slices through the three dishes in order.
Heat a large pan with olive oil and brown the tofu slices for 1 to 2 minutes on each side.
Lay the slices on a baking tray lined with parchment. Spoon over the reserved sauce and cover with mozzarella.
Bake for 4 to 5 minutes, then grill for 3 to 4 minutes depending on your oven.

Nutrition (per serving)

Tips

Dry the tofu thoroughly on kitchen paper before slicing: otherwise the flour will not stick and the coating falls off.
Mix the parmesan straight into the breadcrumbs rather than adding it later: the crust is far tastier that way.
Watch it closely under the grill, which works very differently from one oven to the next.
Serve with pasta, or simply with a salad.

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