Garlic Tofu Alfredo with a Summer Squash Alfredo Sauce

Prep Time: 6 hours – 1 day (day-before prep)
Cook Time: 20-30 minutes

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When summer squash is abundant and in season, there are many ways to utilize it. My favorite ways to eat summer squash are stuffed, fried with oil and seasoning, or pureed into a sauce. While summer squash is higher in carbohydrates than protein, a medium yellow squash contains around 2 grams of protein.

Fun Fact: Summer (yellow) squash is low in calories, high in fiber, contains anti-inflammatory antioxidants, and is a great source of vitamins A, B6, manganese, and more. For more information, I recommend a quick google search, or healthline.com.

I like how summer squash contains a lot of water and carries only a mild taste. This makes it perfect for blending into sauces and going undetected. Parents. take note of this. Sometimes, we have to get creative when delivering healthy vitamins and nutrients to our children.

Alterations and Substitutions

Although I use yellow squash in my alfredo sauce, butternut squash also mixes well into alfredo sauce. You can replace with other squashes, but keep in mind that the flavor profile and color will be altered by doing so. Summer squash still holds the number one spot at going undetected in this sauce.

Although this is a lacto-vegetarian recipe, a good vegan knows their substitutions. There are many ways to keep this recipe vegan. As a person who eats seafood and poultry, I keep it as a lacto-vegetarian recipe.

If you don’t have cream cheese, or simply don’t like it, consider using other plain flavored substitutes. Great replacements for the cream cheese in this recipe include plain Greek yogurt, plain regular yogurt, and sour cream. You can also whip heavy whipping cream into your own cream, then add it to the recipe as your cream cheese replacement.

Compared to other my other homemade alfredo sauces, where I use 4 tablespoons of parmesan cheese, you will notice a greater amount of parmesan cheese for this recipe. This is to better help disguise the squash and absorb the water content. If you prefer to, you may still go with 4 TBSP of parmesan cheese versus 1-2 cups of it. I eat small servings, so the extra cheese isn’t a big concern of mine.

A Little Bit Goes a Long Way…

This recipe is filling! You will only need a small amount of pasta (or substitute).
^{I use an appetizer dish as my plate.}

This is the main reason I love this recipe so much. You can indulge and go the whole 2 cups of parmesan cheese to make this sauce. A serving size of this meal is smaller than average, and that’s because it is packed with protein and nutrients, with the sauce additions and tofu combined. If you decide to substitute the noodles for zoodles (zucchini noodles), spaghetti squash, or shredded veggies, your body will gain even more, making it feel full and nourished much faster.

Air VS Pan Fry

I get that air frying is better, as in healthier, due to less cooking oil, but pan-frying wins with this recipe. This is a statement from a mom who LOVES her air fryer. Yes, as a mom of four, the air fryer is a game changer. My daughter knows how to make her favorite foods via air fryer. It’s a win in our house. However, nothing beats the taste and texture of a good old traditional fry.

I use a cast iron skillet, and I never deep fry. I like to half-soak and rotate the food as it cooks. This also helps me keep better control of the outer seasoning sticking to the tofu. Tofu is very watery and may take a while to fry in oil.

Air frying tofu takes a total of 12-15 minutes, depending on your finish preference. All you need to do is pull the basket out halfway through and rotate the tofu pieces. This will ensure that every outer side of the tofu is crispened. Pan frying tofu in oil may take 15-20 minutes, and sometimes longer, if you like it with a golden browned outer crispy layer. I still say that a traditional fry is worth the wait and cooking time.

If you do choose to air fry, I advise you to add a layer of punctured (with a knife tip or toothpick) parchment paper and cooking oil spray over the air fryer basket. The tofu won’t stick, the water will drain, and the basket metal will be mostly protected from excess oil. As I have previously stated, be sure to pull the tofu out halfway through air frying to rotate it. This will ensure an evenly crisped outer layer.

Ingredients

Garlic Tofu

16 oz tofu
3 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP white wine vinegar
1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
2 TBSP minced garlic
^{I also add 1-2 TBSP of juices from my minced garlic container}
1 TBSP garlic powder
1 TBSP black pepper
2 heaping tsp paprika
1 heaping tsp ground mustard
Kosher salt to taste

Summer Squash Alfredo Sauce

3 medium sized yellow (summer) squash
4 oz cream cheese
1 1/2 cup of heavy cream
1 stick, aka 8 TBSP, butter
1-2 cups parmesan cheese
^{I use 2 cups}
1-2 TBSP garlic powder
1 TBSP onion powder
1 TBSP ground mustard
1 TBSP black pepper
1 TBSP Italian seasoning
1 TBSP garlic and herb seasoning
Kosher salt to taste
2 TBSP minced garlic

Instructions

Garlic Tofu

First, you’ll need to prep your tofu. Although tofu is very absorbent and moldable, it needs time to soak up the marinade and seasonings.

Tear or cut your tofu into your preferred sizes, then place them into a sealable container. I like to tear my tofu, giving it a meatier appearance.

Combine all of the dry and wet ingredients, forming a seasoning sauce to drizzle all over your tofu.

Drizzle the mixture over your tofu and saturate each piece.

Cover your marinated tofu and place into the fridge for 6-24 hours.
^{I like to prep before bed and let it sit overnight.}

After you have finished marinating, fill a large skillet (I use cast iron) 1/3-1/2 way with cooking oil.
^{I use either vegetable oil or olive oil, depending on what I have more of, for this recipe.}

Place the skillet over medium heat and allow the oil to loosen and heat up to about 325 degrees.
^{If you don’t have a thermometer, test the oil with a piece of tofu to see if it’s ready.}

Fry your tofu on each side for 10-12 minutes. Fry for longer if you desire a crispier finish to your tofu.

If you’d rather use your air fryer, set the temp to 400 degrees and cook for 12-15 minutes. be sure to flip them halfway through for even frying.
^{Use parchment paper poked with holes and lightly oiled over the basket base.}

That’s it for the tofu. It is ready to eat and serve.

Summer Squash Alfredo Sauce

Cut your summer squash into small sized pieces and coat them with some salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
^{I do this while I prep the tofu and allow it to sit overnight as well.}

place the pieces into a blender or food processor and pulse until pureed.
^{If you don’t have these tools, just steam the squash on medium-low heat and mash it with a mashing tool.}

In a large pot, melt the butter and add the heavy cream.

Add the squash puree and bring this mixture to a boil.

At boiling point, add the cream cheese and stir frequently.

Bring the heat down, add the dry seasonings and minced garlic, and stir frequently until the sauce thickens to your liking.