Mint Pesto Pasta with Tofu

Basil is typically the herb used in pesto, but it’s tangy cousin, mint, is equally delicious! The first time I tried this mint pesto pasta with tofu recipe I expected it to be harsh-tasting, but I was pleasantly surprised by it’s zippy, yet delicate flavors.

Mint can be bold, especially as the leaves become older. So, to give the pesto a milder flavor, I like to blanch the leaves. Blanching will also help preserve the pesto’s brilliant green color, otherwise the pesto will darken and brown in an unappetizing manner. To blanch, I submerge the leaves in boiling water for about 30 seconds, then pour into a colander to drain the water, and then quickly transfer mint leaves to an ice bath. After the ice bath, I strain the leaves once again and spin them in my lettuce spinner. Then I place them on a clean kitchen towel and pat the leaves thoroughly dry to remove moisture. If you don’t dry them sufficiently (I discovered from experience) your pesto will be watery!

Is mint healthy?

Fresh mint leaves are rich in antioxidants, which help neutralize free-radicals in your body that cause oxidative stress and DNA damage. Mint is especially high in Vitamin A, which is essential for vision.¹

Mint isn’t eaten in large quantities, but making pesto is a great way to easily eat a substantial serving! One ounce of spearmint contains (of the recommended daily intake):²

Vitamin A: 23%
Iron: 18%
Manganese: 16%
Folate: 7%
Vitamin C: 6%
Calcium: 6%

What about soy?

Tofu is an excellent source for protein, vitamins, and minerals. Tofu contains all 9 amino acids making it a complete protein! Tofu is also rich in calcium, manganese, selenium, phosphorus, copper, magnesium, iron, and zinc. But all of this seems to be overshadowed by the misconception that soy is rocket fuel for breast cancer. This couldn’t be further from the reality! Soy consumption has been shown to greatly reduce breast cancer occurrence, reoccurrence, and death.

Why? Soybeans contain natural plant compounds called isoflavones and this is what’s responsible for most of the health benefits. Isoflavones are phytoestrogen, and the problem lies partially in the name. People hear the word “estrogen” in “phytoestrogen” and assume it’s going to be an overload of estrogen in their body if they eat it. But this isn’t the case at all! Phytoestrogen is incredibly weaker than the mammalian estrogen your body produces and doesn’t function entirely as estrogen; it also has anti-estrogenic properties.³,⁴ What does that mean? When you consume phytoestrogens, your body produces less active forms of estrogen and therefore may lower breast cancer risk; an anti-estrogenic effect. Phytoestrogens can also help reduce menopausal hot flashes and potentially increase bone density, which is a pro-estrogenic effect.⁵

What else will soy help with? Isoflavones can reduce blood vessel inflammation and improve their elasticity, reducing risk of stroke and heart disease.

And ladies: let’s keep our bones strong and healthy! Studies have found that soy isoflavones may reduce the risk of bone loss and fractures by increasing bone mineral density. This is incredibly important for postmenopausal women, when bone loss and osteoporosis can occur due to to the decline in estrogen. ⁶,⁷

Why let the broccoli rest for 40 minutes?

This is incredibly interesting, stick with me here! You can impress your friends at the next cocktail party with this fascinating tidbit! (This is why I don’t get invited to parties…haha).

I always try to chop my broccoli 40+ minutes before I cook it. Why?

Sulforaphane is thought to be the main active ingredient that provides tons of health benefits in broccoli. Sulforaphane helps neutralize free radicals, protect our brain and eyesight, and help prevent and treat cancer.

But here’s the thing: there isn’t any sulforaphane IN the broccoli UNTIL you bite (or chop) it, which creates a chemical flare reaction in the broccoli. When the sulforaphane precursor (glucoraphanin) mixes with the enzyme myrosinase when the broccoli is chewed or chopped, sulforaphane is created. But it’s not instantaneous, it takes about 40 minutes for sulforaphane to form. The enzyme myrosinase is destroyed while cooking (while glucoraphanin and sulforaphane are resistant), so there must be that 40+ minutes between the time you chop broccoli and expose it to heat to allow time for the sulforaphane to form.⁸

Eat all the raw broccoli you want, the sulforaphane will form while in your stomach waiting to be digested. But if you’re cooking it, always let it rest before exposing it to heat!

Pro tip: After you return home from the grocery store, wash, dry, and chop your broccoli and then put it in the fridge in a well-sealed container. It will be ready to go when it’s time to cook!

For an extra antioxidant boost…

I intentionally don’t cook the bell peppers with the rest of the veggies to preserve the nutritional value! Bell peppers are packed with vitamin C, vitamin A, and potassium and also contain iron, folate and fiber. Bell peppers are vulnerable to heat so cooking immediately reduces the amount of antioxidants. Red bell peppers contain the most nutrients, with 11x more beta-carotene and 1.5x more vitamin C than green bell peppers!⁹

Print Recipe

Mint Pesto Pasta with Tofu

This Mint Pesto Pasta with Tofu has bright and zesty flavors, easy to make, and a perfect way to utilize all that wild mint growing in your yard!

Prep Time30

Cook Time25

Total Time55

Course: Pasta

Cuisine: American, Italian, Mediterranean

Keyword: mint, Pasta, pesto, spring, Tofu

Servings: 4 bowls

Author: The Wandering Veggie

Ingredients

8-10 oz Pasta penne, farfalle (bow tie, rotini, spaghetti, linguine, conchiglie (shells) are a few of my favorites)

Tofu

15 oz Package of Extra Firm Tofu
Drizzle of oil
¼ tsp paprika
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
¼-½ tsp salt to taste
black pepper to taste

For the Pesto

4 cups fresh young mint leaves (wash, de-stem, and pat dry)
1 clove garlic
½ cup walnuts or ¼ cup pine nuts
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
½ tsp salt to taste
dash of black pepper
¼ cup olive oil

For the Veggies

½ of a yellow onion chopped
3 cups broccoli roughly chopped
½-1 of a Zucchini sliced in rounds and then quartered
Red or orange bell pepper chopped or cut into matchsticks
For Serving
cherry tomatoes sliced
vegan parmesan optional

Instructions

Press the tofu to get the moisture out. I cut mine in half length-wise, wrap in a clean kitchen towel, and place something weighted on top like a cast iron pan or a pot and let sit 5-10 minutes.
Prepare a large bowl with cold water and ice cubes. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and blanch mint for about 30 seconds. Drain water using a colander and quickly transfer leaves to an ice bath. Drain water, then pat leaves dry with a clean towel, making sure to get moisture out, otherwise your pesto will be watery!
Place walnuts and garlic in a food processor and process until chopped. Add mint leaves, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper and pulse until a paste forms, stopping a few times to scrape the sides. Open the food processor, remove the blade, and drizzle in the olive oil 1 Tbsp at a time, stirring to combine. (Hand mixing the oil will help prevent the pesto from being bitter!) Add anything more to-taste.
Cut tofu into cubes and place in a medium-sized skillet with a drizzle of oil. Add all the spices under the “Tofu” section and stir to combine. Cook on medium heat until tofu browns, 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large pot, boil water and cook pasta according to package directions.
Heat a large skillet on medium heat with a splash of water or oil and sauté onions until softened. Add broccoli and cook for several minutes, then add zucchini. Cook until veggies are tender but not mushy. Turn off heat and stir in bell pepper.
Toss the noodles with the mint pesto, then stir in the cooked veggies. Serve immediately and top with sliced cherry tomatoes and optional vegan parmesan.