Grill season is the best season! Our favorite mains from the grill are this sun-dried tomato pesto pasta salad (adapted from Smitten Kitchen) and miso-chipotle grilled tofu (a Serious Eats original). We typically grill whatever seasonal veggies we have around too to serve alongside these dishes, with our favorites being asparagus and summer squash.
Ingredients
For the pasta salad
- 1 medium eggplant
- 1/2 lb pasta such as rotini
- 3/4 cup walnuts, toasted
- 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 sprigs of thyme
- 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp. sun-dried tomatoes, minced
- Salt and black pepper
- 3 tbsp. chopped fresh basil leaves
For the tofu
- 1 14-oz. block of extra firm tofu, drained and pressed to remove water
- 1 tbsp. miso paste
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced, plus 1 tsp. extra sauce
- 2 tsp. brown sugar
- 1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp. soy sauce or tamari
Directions
- Press the tofu to remove water. Meanwhile, mix together the miso paste, chipotle pepper and adobo sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Thin the marinade with a bit of water.
- Slice the tofu into 3 ~1/2 inch slabs and place in a single layer in a dish. Cover with the marinade, being sure to coat all sides of the tofu. Set aside.
- Cut the eggplant into ~1/2 inch rounds. Brush or spray each side with some olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the instructions. Once done, drain and set aside.
- On a grill, cook the tofu for about 7 minutes on each side. Cook the eggplant rounds for about 4 minutes on each side.
- Prepare the sun-dried tomato pesto: in a food processor, combine the walnuts, nutritional yeast, garlic, thyme, vinegar, olive oil, and sun-dried tomatoes and process until you have a paste. Add salt and pepper to taste, and more olive oil if you like a thinner pesto.
- Chop the eggplant rounds into pieces and combine with the pasta. Add the pesto and toss or use kitchen tongs to combine. Add the chopped basil at the end, and season with more salt, pepper, or olive oil as desired.
- Serve a tofu steak alongside a helping of pasta salad.
Saag – Indian Spinach Curry with Tofu “Paneer”