Pasta Fresca

I love going to Noodles and Company and getting Pasta Fresca. And until now the only reason I had not tried to replicate the recipe at home was because I didn't know how to cook tofu and Noodles and Co does it so perfectly! But after some research and huge huge hopes I found the perfect recipe for the pasta dish and the tofu! Now I realize some of you may not like tofu but as I always say-you don't know until you try! If you're still too leery for tofu, this dish is great with shrimp or chicken marinated in the Fresca Sauce. This recipe was great-I had so many leftovers! I'm so excited to try it again-and it was way cheaper than Noodles! I liked doing this at home because I could add more veggies too!


Pasta Fresca
Tofu-Extra Firm

"Press the tofu"
Drain water from tofu package, put tofu on a large plate wrapped in paper towels, place another plate on top of the tofu or other heavy object, allow tofu to press for about an hour.
Marinate the tofu with your favorite flavors-I’ve found that more flavor is better-I’m still perfecting my marinade for now so I don’t have one to put up here. After marinating for at least an hour, cut the tofu into 3/4" cubes.

Fresca Sauce

Several cloves fresh garlic-I used about 6
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup sweet white wine
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil


Pasta Fresca

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 cups pre-cooked Penne pasta
1 cup cubed Roma tomatoes
3 tbs. diced red onions
2 shakes of kosher salt & cracked pepper
Handfull of baby fresh spinach
Fresca Sauce
Feta cheese as desired

Make the sauce ahead of time so the flavors have time to blend. In a very hot sauté pan (if cooking with tofu allow tofu to brown in oil before adding vegetables) combine all ingredients except for spinach, sauce, and feta cheese. Once onions are translucent add spinach and sauce. Toss to combine, top with feta cheese and serve!