Pan-Fry
Thai Zoodles with Tofu and Crushed Peanuts
- Serves 4
Author Notes
A healthy Thai-inspired "pasta" made with zucchini noodles, pan fried tofu, and crushed peanuts.
A spiralizer is a miraculous thing.
“Do you want chopped up zucchini and red sauce for dinner?” Meh.
“How about a big bowl of zoodles with meatballs and marinara?” YES.
The spiralizer turns the ordinary into the appetizing, quietly performing a sort of culinary sleight of hand.
Another thing that zoodles do, is really allow you to hone in on your sauces. Whereas a plate of pasta with salt and black pepper may not need too much coaxing to turn out a desirable meal–zoodles do require a little more sauce prowess.
That said, most pasta sauces taste great with zoodles. But, you’ll be able to taste it if something is lacking.
Therefore, with zoodles, and with the recipe below, taste often and adjust accordingly, particularly if your ingredients are slightly different. The fermented chili paste concentrate is, perhaps, the most exotic flavor here. It imparts a rich deep flavor as well as a slight kick of heat. If you don’t have access to it, a regular chili paste (or even sliced fresh chilis) would taste good here–I would just taste the sauce often and perhaps add a little extra soy sauce or even some fish sauce to deepen the flavor profile.
—Kaitlin at Water and Rose
Ingredients
-
2.5
medium zucchini
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3
cloves garlic, minced
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1 teaspoon
fresh ginger, minced
-
1/2 cup
peanuts, crushed or chopped finely
-
1 tablespoon
fermented chili paste concentrate
-
1 tablespoon
tamari/soy sauce
-
3 tablespoons
rice wine vinegar
-
1 cup
shiitake mushrooms, sliced
-
3 tablespoons
avocado oil
-
2 tablespoons
extra virgin olive oil
-
3
scallions, chopped (for garnish)
Directions
- Pan fry the tofu: Slice the tofu into approximately 1/2 inch slabs Squeeze out as much moisture from the tofu as possible, using a cheese cloth, thin rag, or paper towel Cut the tofu into chunks (exact size is your preference) about 1/2 inch all around Heat the avocado oil in a deep skillet When hot, carefully drop the tofu into the oil The tofu should sizzle when you drop it in the hot oil Let it cook for a few minutes, until a crust forms This may take several minutes, depending on how hot your oil is Watch it carefully, but don’t try to turn it too quickly, it will stick to the pan Allow it to brown sufficiently, and it should flip much more easily Once both sides of tofu are cooked, transfer to a bowl, season with salt and pepper and set aside
- Spiralize the zucchini: Wash and spiralize the zucchini, cutting in half first if it works better for your particular machine–it does in mine. I use this spiralizer, and I love it, but I’ve also read really good things about this one Set noodles aside
- Make the Sauce: Heat a dutch oven or heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat When hot, add the olive oil, minced garlic and ginger, and chili paste, stir quickly and reduce the heat slightly to keep the garlic and ginger from burning Add the mushrooms and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly When the mushrooms begin to soften, add the rice wine vinegar and tamari/soy sauce (you may need a little extra oil here as well, depending on how much the mushrooms absorbed) Give the sauce a stir, taste and adjust accordingly if needed.
- Add the zucchini noodles: Cook by tossing the noodles constantly with tongs or a pronged spoon until they break down, begin to lose their structure, and become more “pasta-like” Once the zucchini begins to break down, add the tofu and toss into the sauce with the zoodles
- Serve, garnishing with chopped peanuts and scallions.
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