Tofu and aubergine peanut stew
A mild tomato stew with tofu, aubergine and a measured peanut sauce.
About 40 min · 500 kcal · 34 g protein per serving
Vegan
Red lentil and tomato pasta shells
Pasta filled with lentils and tofu in tomato sauce.
By The foodose editorial team. Nutrition calculated from USDA FoodData Central. Checked on paper on 12 September 2026; not yet cooked in a test kitchen or photographed, so the times and yield are estimates. How we develop our recipes
What still needs a real kitchen
- Confirm the sauce thickens in 10 to 12 minutes
- Photograph the finished plate
- Time
- About 35 min
- estimated
- Serves
- 2
- see below
- Energy
- 545 kcal
- per serving
- Protein
- 34 g
- per serving
Ingredients for 2 servings
Check off ingredients as you go.
Contains gluten, soya. Check the labels on packaged ingredients:
- orzo. Most dry pasta is just wheat and water, but some contains egg; check the packet.
- passata. Some passata is salted; check the label.
Cooking steps
Cook the orzo in boiling water, following the packet, then drain it.
Meanwhile, warm the oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the tofu, broken into small pieces, and cook for 5 minutes, until it is dry and lightly coloured.
Mash the lentils roughly with a fork and add them to the pan with the passata. Simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, until thick.
Fold the orzo through the sauce, take the pan off the heat and stir in the basil.
The useful detail
Keep the lentil mixture firm so it holds its texture in the sauce. Mashed to a purée it disappears into the tomato and the dish loses the body that makes it filling.
Make it work for you
One serving is Half the pan with 60 g of pasta (dry weight). You can switch to a smaller portion in the ingredients above; it is three quarters of this, and it contains correspondingly less energy and protein. It is an option, not a goal.
Spaghetti instead of orzo
The sauce coats strands differently but tastes the same.
Per serving: about the same energy, about the same protein, about the same fat.
Tempeh instead of tofu
Nuttier and firmer, closer to a meat sauce.
Per serving: about 45 kcal more, about 3 g more protein, about 2 g more fat.
Tinned chopped tomatoes instead of passata
Chunkier; simmer it a few minutes longer.
Per serving: about 40 kcal less, about 2 g less protein, about the same fat.
Estimated nutrition
Per standard serving, calculated from the ingredients above. Nutrition changes with substitutions, brands and how much oil stays in the pan.
A vegan pasta with a sauce that carries real protein, from the lentils and tofu together, rather than relying on cheese.
| Energy | 545 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 34 g |
| Fat | 12 g |
| of which saturates | 2 g |
| Carbohydrate | 81 g |
| of which sugars | not calculated |
| Fibre | 14 g |
| Sodium | 70 mg |
Show calculation notes
Each ingredient’s weight is multiplied by its USDA FoodData Central values per 100 g. The whole recipe is added up and divided by 2. Raw weights are used for meat, fish and vegetables; beans and lentils are drained weights. All of the oil is counted as eaten. Added salt is not included; sodium from stock, bread, cheese and tinned food is.
| Ingredient | Weight used | Source | Energy | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| orzo | 120 g | FDC 169736Pasta, dry, enrichedFoodData Central records dry pasta as one entry rather than by shape. Orzo is the same durum wheat pasta, cut small. | 445 kcal | 15.6 g |
| olive oil | 4.5 g | FDC 171413Oil, olive, salad or cooking | 40 kcal | 0.0 g |
| cooked lentils | 180 g | FDC 172421Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt | 209 kcal | 16.2 g |
| firm tofu | 180 g | FDC 172475Tofu, raw, firm, prepared with calcium sulfate | 259 kcal | 31.1 g |
| passata | 350 g | FDC 170460Tomato products, canned, puree, without salt addedCalculated with FoodData Central's unsalted tinned tomato purée record, the closest match to sieved passata. | 133 kcal | 5.8 g |
| fresh basil | 5 g | FDC 172232Basil, fresh | 1 kcal | 0.2 g |
| Whole recipe | Divided by 2 | 1088 kcal | 68.9 g |
Per serving the energy is rounded to the nearest 5 kcal, grams to the nearest whole gram and sodium to the nearest 10 mg. of which sugars could not be calculated, because one ingredient’s record does not cover it; the row above says which. Calculation method 1.0, September 2026. How the calculation works.
Storage and reheating
- In the fridge
- Cool, cover and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. Eat within 3 to 4 days. The sauce keeps well for 3 to 4 days; store it apart from the pasta.
- In the freezer
- Freezing keeps food safe indefinitely; the texture is best if it is eaten sooner rather than later.
- Reheating
- Reheat until it reaches 74°C / 165°F, steaming hot throughout.
Checked against US Food and Drug Administration, Refrigerator and Freezer Storage Chart, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Leftovers and Food Safety, FoodSafety.gov, Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures and FoodSafety.gov, Cold Food Storage Chart. UK guidance from the Food Standards Agency is shorter, at two days for most leftovers.
Try another recipe
Tempeh and pearl barley stuffed cabbage
Soft cabbage rolls with tempeh, barley and tomato sauce.
About 1 hr 15 min · 480 kcal · 31 g protein per serving
Vegan