Vegan Creamy Pea & Smokey 'Bacon' Penne Bosh TV

Creamy Pea and Smoky 'Bacon' Penne

  • Simple
  • 0:25 m
  • 13 ingredients

Vegan Bacon you say? If it sounds too good to be true, believe us when we say that proof is in the plant-based pasta. We have created meat free bacon. The tofu 'bacon' lardons were a roaring success when we first served this, they had such a smokey flavour and mouthwatering crunch, we had to stop ourselves eating them all. If you're looking for things you can do with tofu, this is a great one to try.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the tofu bacon lardons

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp smoked salt - (or normal salt)
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 450g smoked firm tofu
  • 25g cornflour

For the creamy sauce

  • 3 tbsp plant-based cream cheese
  • 200ml plant-based cream - we used oat
  • 200g garden peas
  • 400g wholewheat penne pasta
  • 10g parsley leaves
  • 10g nutritional yeast
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Before you start

Tofu press | Frying pan | Kettle (boiled)

Step 1

First, prepare the tofu bacon lardons

  • Press the tofu in a tofu press - the drier the tofu, the better
  • Put the cornflour, smoked paprika, garlic powder and salt into a mixing bowl and mix together with a fork
  • Add the tofu cubes to the bowl and roll in the dry mix, making sure they’re well covered
  • Transfer the tofu lardons to a plate
  • Drizzle the 2 tablespoons maple syrup and soy sauce over the prepared tofu cubes and set to one side

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp smoked salt - (or normal salt)
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 450g smoked firm tofu
  • 25g cornflour

Step 2

Time to cook

  • Cook the pasta according to packet instructions (approx 9 minutes in salted boiling water)
  • Warm the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat
  • Add the tofu cubes to the pan and gently stir for 8-9 minutes until the tofu has warmed through and the coating is developing a crunchy crust

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 400g wholewheat penne pasta

Step 3

Make the sauce

  • Add the vegan cream and vegan cream cheese to the pan, stir and bring to a very gentle simmer
  • Add the peas and the pasta to the pan and fold them into the pan to combine (add a little pasta water to loosen the sauce if needs be)
  • Taste the sauce and season to perfection with salt and pepper (lots of pepper!)

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp plant-based cream cheese
  • 200ml plant-based cream - we used oat
  • 200g garden peas
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Step 4

Time to serve

  • Spoon the Creamy Pea and Smokey Bacon Penne into bowls
  • Garnish with parsley, nutritional yeast, black pepper and serve immediately with a simple mixed leaf salad

Ingredients

  • 10g parsley leaves
  • 10g nutritional yeast