Super Greens Pasta Salad with Balsamic Glaze
This pasta salad can be eaten warm or cold, so perfect for serving as a main meal or packing into lunchboxes. I roast the broccoli (from frozen) as this is my favourite way to eat broccoli. Feel free to steam/boil/microwave the broccoli instead!
Ingredients
- 360 g / 12½ oz Conchiglie Rigate (pasta shells)
- 500 g / 5 cups frozen broccoli florets
- 1 TBSP olive or organic rapeseed (canola) oil, plus extra for spraying
- 280 g / 10 oz extra firm tofu, cubed (and pressed, if needed)*
- ¼ tsp garlic granules
- ¼ tsp salt
- 130 g / 1 cup frozen soya beans (aka edamame beans)
- 16 black pitted olives, halved
- 1 TBSP good quality extra virgin olive oil
- 30 g / 1 cup baby spinach leaves (or mixed green salad leaves)
Toppings
- 2 TBSP Nutritional yeast**
- 4 TBSP Balsamic glaze***
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 210C (190C fan) / 410F.
- Arrange the frozen broccoli florets in a roasting pan. Place in the centre of the oven for 10 minutes, or until the broccoli has thawed. Tip the broccoli into a colander and drain over the sink. Slice any extra large pieces of broccoli in half. Return the broccoli to the roasting pan, spritz with an oil spray and stir through. Add a light sprinkling of salt then roast for a further 10-15 minutes, until the broccoli has browned round the edges.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet. 3 minutes before the pasta is ready, add the soya beans to the pan and bring back to the boil. Once the pasta and beans are cooked, drain and return them to the pan. Add 1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil and stir through. Set to one side.
- In a large frying pan (skillet) heat the olive/rapeseed oil on medium heat. Add the tofu cubes and quickly toss them to coat in the oil. Sprinkle on the garlic granules and salt. Leave to cook for 3 minutes, or until the underside is golden brown then flip the cubes. Continue cooking until the tofu is golden brown on most sides.
- Add the tofu cubes, olives, spinach and roasted broccoli to the pasta, and stir through. Divide between four bowls. Add a sprinkling of nutritional yeast and drizzle of balsamic glaze before serving. Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Notes
* I used Tofoo Naked, which doesn’t require pressing.
** I used Engevita Nutritional Yeast Flakes with B12
*** I used Waitrose Glaze Balsamic Vinegar, which is so delicious!
Recipe inspired by 'Green Pasta Salad with Tofu' by Michala Kramer, featured in Vegan Life Magazine, Issue 70, April 2021