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Meanwhile, cut the tofu into bite-size pieces and place in the baking pan. Add the cream of mushroom soup, Parmesan cheese, mushrooms with their juice, milk, salt, and pepper and stir well. Add the spaghetti and toss until it’s completely coated and the tofu and mushrooms are fairly evenly distributed. Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Cooking 101:

Tofu can be purchased in different forms, including silken, regular, and baked. Silken tofu is soft and falls apart easily, but it gets very smooth when you purée it, making it good for sauces, dressings, and desserts. Regular tofu comes in soft, firm, and extra-firm types; the firm and extra-firm slice well and are good for baking or a stir-fry, where you want it to keep its shape. Baked tofu is regular tofu that has been marinated and baked, lowering its water content and making it substantially firmer. It comes in different flavors and is so delicious that you can just warm it up and eat it as is. If a recipe doesn’t call for a specific type of tofu, stick with regular firm tofu.

Pasta Primavera

Pasta Primavera

This is probably one of the easiest things you will ever make; plus, it gives you an opportunity to try new vegetables. If there are certain vegetables in season or on sale, just substitute those or include them along with the vegetables in the recipe. –J

Serves 4 to 6

1 carrot

1 cup broccoli florets

1 small onion

1 zucchini

1 yellow squash

3 cloves garlic

1 large tomato

½ cup frozen peas

1 pound uncooked pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup milk

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for sprinkling

Salt and pepper

Place a large saucepan with 1 inch of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Peel the carrot and cut into thin slices. Add the carrot slices and broccoli to the pan, cover, and cook for 4 minutes, or until the broccoli is still crisp but also a bit tender. Drain the water and set the broccoli and carrots aside. (Alternatively, if you have a microwave, place the carrots and broccoli in a microwave-safe container and add a little water. Cover with plastic wrap or wax paper and microwave on high heat for 5 minutes, or until tender.)

Peel the onion and cut into ½-inch pieces. Cut the zucchini and yellow squash in half lengthwise, and then cut into thin slices. Peel and finely chop the garlic or put it through a garlic press. Cut the tomato in half, remove the seeds by scraping them out of the tomato with a small tool or your finger, and chop into ½-inch pieces.

Place the peas in a colander. Fill the same large saucepan about two-thirds full with salted water, return it to the stove over high heat, and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until al dente. Pour the pasta into the colander with the peas and drain well; this will defrost the peas and even cook them a bit.

While the pasta is cooking, place the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, zucchini, and yellow squash and cook, stirring frequently, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the vegetables start to get translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add the tomato, broccoli, and carrot and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the tomatoes are warm. Add the milk and Parmesan cheese to the pan and stir gently for 1 minute. Add the pasta and peas to the pan and stir until combined. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with some more Parmesan cheese, and serve immediately.

Cooking 101:

The National Pasta Association lists fifty-one different types of pasta on their website. With so many to choose from it can be difficult to remember which one works best for what. An easy rule of thumb is that delicate pastas like angel hair should be served with light, thin sauces; thicker pastas such as fettuccine are good for heavier sauces; and pastas with holes, like penne or tube pasta, work well with chunky sauces.