I’m having a really hard time refraining from making all of the puns right now. Ok, mainly just that I’m puttanesca on the ritz. Now that’s out of the way, we can focus on the things that really matter.

What’s easy, fun to say, and ever so versatile? No, not some slut named Bambi or something who can bend unusually well.

It’s Puttanesca!

Which makes a lot more sense considering the title of the this post!

This is a pretty straight forward recipe that can be made with things you probably already have sitting in your cupboards. It also gives you a good excuse to hit up the olive bar at Whole Foods which gives you a decent excuse to hit up the kimchi bar at Whole Foods which gives you really no excuse to spend as much money as you just spent on mixed olives and kimchi at Whole Foods. Who do you think you are, Aunt Moneybags? THAT’S NOT EVEN A REAL PERSON! Get your head out of the sand and let’s Puttanesca or shut up!

Nailed it.

My recipe below was very closely adapted from a guest blogger recipe on Design Sponge from a super talented food making stylist and photographer who runs The Tart Tart. The only real differences are I swapped anchovies for red miso and added peppadew peppers, and swapped angel hair spaghetti with some high protein substitutes.

PUTTANESCA with TOFU STEAKS and/or MUNG BEAN FETTUCCINE

serves 4

ingredients:

3 cloves of garlic, minced

14 ounces of canned peeled whole tomatoes

4 teaspoons red miso paste

2 tablespoons capers, drained

⅓ cup (40g-ish) of pitted mixed olives, halved

2 diced peppadew peppers

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon dried oregano

basil

20oz extra firm tofu – 5oz per/serving (my new favorite is Wildwood Sprouted Tofu – it’s drier to begin with so it cooks way better)

optional: pasta (I used Explore Asia pastas whenever I feel the urge for pasta)

Puttanesca on it!

Slice your tofu into 8 even slabs. Dry them thoroughly with paper towels. Set them aside to dry more. If you’re going to make some pasta, start boiling the water now.

In a large frying pan or wok, heat up some cooking spray over medium heat. Toss in the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds. Add in the canned tomatoes (with juices), miso paste, capers, olives, peppers, red pepper flakes, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir it all around some to mix in the miso and then let it simmer while your make the tofu or cook your pasta or either.

Salt and pepper your slabs of tofu. Heat up cooking spray in a small frying pan over medium heat. Put a couple tofu slabs down and let them sizzle in the pan, untouched, for a few minutes. Lightly mist the slabs with a tiny bit more cooking spray and flip them over. Cook another couple of minutes. When both sides are golden brown, you done, girl.

At this point, either top your tofu with a half cup of the puttanesca orrrr toss it all with some pasta. Top with some basil and maybe some more capers and olives. Eat!

NUTRITION

per half-cup serving of puttanesca: 59 calories . 13g carbs . 2g fat . 3g protein . 2g fiber . 5g sugar

with 5 oz tofu: 276 calories . 18g carbs . 13g fat . 26g protein . 4g fiber . 5g sugar