Tofu Bruschetta with Pesto and Smoked Gouda

Welcome to part two of our three-part Tofu exploration. For part two, I was looking to use tofu in something other than Asian cuisine. Luckily, as though the publishers of Cuisine at Home magazine read my mind, I came across their Tofu Margherita Pizza Bites recipe in the May/June 2013 issue.  (I love this magazine...greatest magazine ever!)

I was excited to try it, but I was not that excited about the toppings. I wasn't crazy about the sun-dried tomato pesto (I didn't have any on hand) so I decided to use the tofu preparation and then top it with my own ingredients instead.  

Honestly, my first attempt at this recipe was not a good one. I'd used 'firm' tofu rather than the 'extra firm' tofu as noted in the recipe and the results were disastrous! The 'firm' tofu was just too moist even after an hour of pressing the liquid out. Then, once I put it in the oven to roast, the firm tofu puffed up and curled and then shrank down to the size of a very small pizza slice made for Barbie. Kind of like Shrinky Dinks...remember those? So lesson learned, you must use 'extra firm' tofu. :)

After the roasting misstep, for my second go at it I used the correct ingredient, extra firm tofu. It worked so much better, it actually crisped up nicely. Also, to be extra sure I wouldn't be hosting a party for Ken and Barbie again, I decided not to cut them into triangles and I cut them into rectangular slices. I couldn't call them pizza if they were rectangles so I called this dish Bruschetta instead of pizza. I made my own pesto from some basil I had on hand and topped it with Smoked Gouda and red pepper flakes. Absolutely delicious! 

Tofu Bruschetta with Pesto and Smoked Gouda (recipe inspiration from Cuisine at Home May/June 2013)
Makes 12 

1 pkg extra-firm tofu (10-14oz), thinly sliced
1/2 cup pesto, store bought or prepared fresh (see below)
3/4 cup smoked Gouda, grated
red pepper flakes, to taste


Preparing the Tofu:

Thinly slice tofu into 12 slices. Place a few layers of paper towels on a cutting board, then place the tofu on top of the paper towel lined cutting board. Top the tofu with additional layers of paper towels and a cookie sheet, then weight with cans to press the tofu. Press tofu for 30 to 40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Remove cans, baking sheet and towels from tofu. Spray rack with cooking spray and place tofu on rack. 
Use a fork to poke holes into the center of each tofu rectangle to help roasting. The center takes the longest to dry and crisp up, so poking holes in it helps. 
Roast tofu until dry and crisp, about 25-35 minutes, turning the cookie sheet throughout cooking time to ensure even roasting.

While tofu is roasting prepare Pesto.

Pesto: 
1 cup basil leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts
salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a mini food processor and blend well. 

Once tofu is roasted, preheat broiler on high. Assemble Bruschetta by placing 1 tsp of pesto on each tofu crisp. Top with smoked Gouda cheese and broil until the cheese melts. Watch closely as not to burn them. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and serve. 

Click here to see Tofu Part One-Spicy Sesame Tofu