Spicy Vegan Tofu Scampi

I love me some (vegan) butter and I love me some lemon. But I REALLY love them with some spice added to the mix. This recipe steps away from a traditional shrimp scampi and adds an intriguing balance between tang & spice. Plus, who doesn’t love an excuse to crack open a bottle of vino and have a glass while working in the kitchen!

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 15 min

Total Time: 20 min

Yields: 4-6 servings 

Ingredients

1 block extra firm tofu

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves (chopped) 

3 tbsp vegan butter

¼ cup dry white wine 

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 small red chili pepper (chopped) 

1 tbsp red pepper flakes

½ tbsp garlic powder 

1-2 tbsp parsley

Salt/pepper to taste 

Instructions

1. Drain tofu and pat dry with a paper towel to absorb as much moisture as possible from the tofu. Cut into cubes, then pat dry once more. 

2. Heat half of the oil in a pan over medium heat and add tofu cubes. Sprinkle with a small portion of the garlic powder, parsley and salt/pepper. Let cook until the side faced-down is a golden brown, then flip. Make sure all sides cook and add more spice while flipping sides so it is evenly distributed. 

3. While the tofu is cooking, start making the sauce in a separate pan over low-medium heat. Cook garlic and chopped red chili pepper in remaining oil for 2-3 minutes, then add butter and cook until they are all well mixed. Then, add white wine and let simmer together for an additional few minutes.  

4. Next, add lemon juice, red pepper flakes and parsley. Add tofu until fully heated and salt/pepper to taste. 

5. Serve over fettuccine or linguine. Add extra parsley for garnish.