Do you ever open your refrigerator door and wonder what the heck you were thinking when you purchased these particular ingredients? I do it all the time! Most days when I have a collection of eclectic ingredients, (like the tons of pesto I now have in my fridge because of a cruel marketing scheme that only allows sales basil by the bushel), I dare.

Today is not one of those days. Today is a day for google. Today, I type in tofu, pesto, lettuce and let it rip. No exact hits, but I came upon this unexpected recipe from The Spruce, a really comprehensive website that covers everything from vegan cooking to pet care to DIY home demolition. There’s nothing these guys won’t tackle. I decided to give it an ‘inspired by’ whirl.

Baked Tofu with Pesto

 Ingredients

• 1/2 C pesto
• 1 lb. extra firm tofu (NOT silken tofu), pressed and cut into 1″ cubes
• 1 T olive oil
• 2 T balsamic vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. This dish doesn’t take a long time to prep, but the longer you leave it to marinate the better it is.
2. To prepare the tofu, you have to squeeze out the excess water. I take 2 plates and make a plate-tofu-plate sandwich and put a heavy can on top. Give it at least 30 minutes then dump off the excess water before cubing (my squares are never square).
3. Toss the tofu with the olive oil, vinegar and pesto. Cover the dish and let marinate for hours to overnight.
4. Toss the tofu mixture to coat the tofu again just before baking. Spread the cubes evenly on a baking sheet. Instead of oiling the sheet, I use parchment paper, my new best friend. This makes clean up really easy.
5. Bake at 375 F for 25 to 30 minutes. Excellent hot or cold.

But what about the lettuce? I serve my baked tofu with pesto with a simple salad. You can also serve it on top of pasta, brown rice, steamed veggies, pretty much anything you want. Add a dollop of extra pesto, if you’d like.

Almost forgot! The Spruce also has a vegan pesto recipe, (of course they do). Just click here.