This Creamy Silken Tofu Pasta Sauce is my take on a high-protein, healthier alternative to Alfredo sauce. The silken tofu is blended and cooked with garlic, stock, paprika, parmesan, and parsley to create the ultimate creamy pasta sauce. It's absolutely delicious and it's my boyfriend's new favorite pasta sauce so I hope you love it as much as we do!
For this silken tofu pasta sauce recipe, I've chosen to serve it up with spaghetti and fried chicken breast. But you could totally sub out the spaghetti for any pasta shape you want and for extra protein, it would go really well with meatballs, pork loin, or for a plant-based option, some fried cubes of extra firm tofu!
Looking for more pasta sauces? Check out my spicy alfredo sauce, sweet potato pasta sauce, or roasted red pepper pasta sauce for another dinner option! For a full on pasta recipe, check out my chicken spinach alfredo - it's creamy and delicious!
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
High protein: this silken tofu pasta sauce uses 2 packets of silken tofu which equates to around 600g silken tofu. This is over 30g protein in the sauce alone, compared to only 12g protein in cream equivalent. My high protein breakfast burritos are also another recipe I'm really proud of that I think you'll love if you're looking to boost your protein intake!
Easy to make: all you need is a blender to ensure the silken tofu is smooth, and the rest is super easy. Just some pantry ingredients and you're good to go.
No flavor compromise: many lower calorie or healthier recipe alternatives compromise on flavor...not this one. The silken tofu acts as a flavor sponge, soaking up all the yumminess from the fried garlic, stock, paprika, salt, pepper, and parsley. It's creamy and SO delicious.
Made by an ex-chef turned home cook: yep, that's me! Hi, for those of you who are new here, I'm Emily and I love taking inspiration from flavours and dishes from around the world to make recipes you can cook up any day of the week. I post at least 3 new recipes a week, so make sure to visit this website for new inspiration, or sign up to my newsletter by clicking subscribe in the top right hand corner of the page for a weekly roundup! I love that you're here, see you around!
What is Silken Tofu?
Silken tofu is a soft form of tofu made by coagulating soy milk without pressing it, which gives it a delicate texture compared to firmer varieties. Nutritionally, it’s relatively low in calories (around 50–60 kcal per 100 g) while providing a good amount of plant-based protein (about 5 g per 100 g) and moderate fats, mostly unsaturated. It contains very few carbohydrates and small amounts of fibre, and is often a useful source of minerals like calcium and iron, especially when set with calcium salts.
Because it’s mild in flavour, it absorbs other ingredients well, making it popular in both savoury dishes like in my take on the viral mapo tofu udon , and sweet recipes (such as desserts and smoothies), while also being suitable for vegan and dairy-free diets. If you're a fan of silken tofu, check out a load of my silken tofu recipes I make on repeat!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Silken tofu: this very soft form of tofu is a protein-packed powerhouse. You want to make sure you buy silken tofu, not extra firm or firm tofu as the texture will not be the same. For those of you who are big fans of extra firm tofu, check out my lemongrass and coconut tofu curry or my tofu tomato soup!
Garlic: I'm using fresh garlic for this recipe, but you could totally add ¼ teaspoon garlic granules into the silken tofu blended mixture for flavor if you don't have fresh garlic.
Stock: chicken stock is my preferred choice for this recipe but you could totally use veggie stock if you want to keep it plant-based or vegan. Storebought is fine, or you can use homemade stock if you've got it!
Parmesan: this adds a lovely saltiness and cheesiness to our sauce. For those of you keeping it plant-based, feel free to sub this out for some nutritional yeast.
Paprika: this spice doesn't make the dish spicy, it just adds a nice depth of flavor. If you don't have paprika, you could use cayenne or mild chili powder.
Pasta: in this recipe I'm using spaghetti and cooking it in the pasta sauce, but you could totally use any other shape you prefer. You can also alternatively cook the pasta separately to the sauce.
Toppings: for an extra boost of protein, I'm frying off chicken breast and placing that on top of the silken tofu pasta. For an extra protein boost if you're plant-based, feel free to add some fried extra firm tofu cubes, add in some black beans, or fried tempeh.
For the full ingredients list with measurements and instructions, scroll down this blog to the recipe card.
How to Make Silken Tofu Pasta Sauce (with Photos)
Step 1: Place the silken tofu in a blender and blend until smooth.
Step 2: In a large pan/skillet, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and place on medium-low heat. Add in the garlic and fry for a couple of minutes until aromatic.
Step 3: Pour in the silken tofu mixture, followed by 600ml chicken or veggie stock, 50g grated parmesan, ½ teaspoon paprika, a pinch of salt and big grinding of black pepper. Give everything a really good mix.
Step 4: Add the pasta into the pan and place on the lid. Stir the pasta every 2 minutes to separate it and stop it from sticking to the pan. If the silken tofu sauce is looking like it could need a bit more water, add in another 50-100ml water. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the pasta is al dente and the sauce has reduced.
Step 5: Meanwhile, prepare your chicken breasts. Place a skillet on medium heat and drizzle with oil. Add in the chicken breasts and season with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and cook on each side for 5 minutes or until cooked through and golden on the outside.
Step 6: Once the pasta is al dente, add in the finely chopped parsley and stir to combine.
Step 7: Divide your pasta between two bowls and top with the sliced chicken. Garnish with more parsley and parmesan, and enjoy my friends!
FAQs
You can, but the texture will be very different. Extra firm tofu will be more coarse and less smooth. It might be worth adding 50ml water to the blender before blending the extra firm tofu.
Absolutely. Simply cook the pasta according to packet instructions in salted boiling water, and prepare the pasta sauce by reducing the amount of stock added from 600ml to 300ml, leaving it to simmer gently until it's reached your desired consistency.
Lower the heat and leave the pasta to simmer more gently. Make sure to stir the pasta more frequently to prevent sticking.
Meatballs, fried pork loin, fried mushrooms, fried zucchini, roasted red peppers.
I love serving it with spaghetti, but any pasta shape will do. In addition, I love serving the pasta with a side salad, caprese salad, garlic bread or some roasted vegetables.
More Pasta Recipes You Might Enjoy!
If you tried this Creamy Silken Tofu Pasta Sauce recipe or any of my other recipes, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thank you!
Creamy Silken Tofu Pasta Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 600 g silken tofu
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves finely chopped (add more if you love garlic!!)
- 600 ml stock chicken or vegetable stock
- 50 g grated parmesan plus extra for serving
- ½ teaspoon paprika add more if you want extra spice
- 300 g pasta
- 15 g parsley finely chopped, plus more for serving
- 4 chicken breasts
Instructions
- Place the silken tofu in a blender and blend until smooth.
- In a large pan/skillet (that has a lid), add 1 tablespoon olive oil and place on medium-low heat. Add in the garlic and fry for a minute until aromatic.
- Pour in the silken tofu mixture, followed by 600ml chicken or veggie stock, 50g grated parmesan, ½ teaspoon paprika, a pinch of salt and big grinding of black pepper. Give everything a really good mix and bring to the boil, then reduce to simmer.
- Add the pasta into the pan and place on the lid. Stir the pasta every 2 minutes to separate it and stop it from sticking to the pan. If the silken tofu sauce is looking like it could need a bit more water, add in another 50-100ml water. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the pasta is al dente and the sauce has reduced.
- Meanwhile, prepare your chicken breasts. Place a skillet on medium heat and drizzle with oil. Add in the chicken breasts and season with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and cook on each side for 5 minutes or until cooked through and golden on the outside.
- Once the pasta is al dente, add in the finely chopped parsley and stir to combine. The sauce should be silky smooth and a lovely saucy consistency. Add more water if the sauce is too dry, and give everything a good mix before serving.
- Divide your pasta between bowls and top with the sliced chicken. Garnish with more parsley and parmesan, and enjoy my friends!
Leave a Reply