Pantry Pasta

I was at a loss the other night trying to figure out dinner. I had originally planned spaghetti, but we had spent most of the day loading and unloading wood, furniture, etc., so the thought of hot food was not appealing.

Pasta still sounded good, though, so I looked through my pantry to see what we had lying around. I ended up making cold spaghetti noodles, then added olive oil, red wine vinegar, a bit of Dijon mustard, granulated garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. I was going to add dried basil, but I forgot. Next, I added some chopped kale and some tofu, then mixed everything together.

It turned out to be quite delicious! I usually end up not putting enough oil in dishes like this, which makes them rather flavorless the next day. But I had pretty good proportions this time.

Spouse was happy, I was happy, and dinner was taken care of without heating up the kitchen any more than necessary.

Since I made this up as I went along, I didn’t measure anything. But I’ve put together an approximate recipe below. Feel free to adjust the dressing to your own taste!

Cold Spaghetti Salad with Kale and Tofu

Servings: Approximately 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10–12 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 oz dry spaghetti
• 8 oz firm or extra-firm tofu, drained and cubed
• 2 cups chopped kale, stems removed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• ½ teaspoon dried basil (optional, and only if you remember it!)

Instructions

1. Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions.
2. Drain and rinse under cold running water until the noodles are completely cooled.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper.
4. Place the cooled spaghetti in a large bowl. Add the chopped kale and cubed tofu.
5. Pour the dressing over everything and toss until thoroughly coated.
6. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Add more olive oil or vinegar if needed.
7. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat.

Notes: This is a very forgiving recipe. The dressing quantities are approximate, so start with the suggested amounts and adjust according to your preferences. If you’re planning to have leftovers, you may want to add a little extra dressing before serving, since pasta tends to absorb it as it sits.