Mapo Tofu Spaghetti

I made substitutions with what was available in my refrigerator -- Firm tofu with some water added during processing, Thai green curry paste instead of the doubanjiang , vegan ground b'ef -- and it turned out delicious.

Use miso instead of black bean paste for that extra umami kick! I also subbed in gochujang.

This recipe is formatted in such a confusing way that it’s hard to know what goes into the blender with that tofu. So, below the words SAUCE, the recipe writer means that all the ingredients EVENTUALLY go into the sauce. Read the whole thing through a few times before you start cooking.

Also for another vegetarian option we used beans instead of meat, and it was so good!

Well, I was excited to prepare this and am terribly disappointed. I made it with Beyond Meat, and other than adding a bit more than a tablespoon of water to get my tofu out of the blender, I followed the recipe faithfully. The end result delivered on “numb” but offered no other significant flavor, and once out of the pan for more than a few minutes, the creamy tofu became pasty and lost its appeal. We ended up not only not finishing dinner, but we tossed the rest. Again, disappointing.

So delicious and so easy! The fermented bean paste and fermented beans can be found at a Asian grocery but you can also sub a chili crisp! I also had ramen noodles instead of spaghetti which made it extra delightful! Do not forget the Szechwan peppercorns—they add that wonderful slightly numbing sensation! Can’t wait to eat this again!

We made this vegetarian by using 8oz black beans in place of the meat. It was great! The dusting of ground Szechuan peppers before serving is a very happy addition. My kids ate this up, even the 7 year old who spurns tofu. In this recipe, he didn’t even know it was there!

Rob, Your criticism about the amount of pasta called for is easily solved- if you purchase the same brand of pasta for each shape you prefer ( spaghettini, fettuccini, linguini) , wrap the unused, uncooked portion in plastic wrap and save until the next time you cook. Alternatives? Cook the whole pound and have either left overs or eat more than you need.

Try with wild mushrooms, fried and caramelized as Claire suggested. Use the largest calphelon sauce pan. Start spaghetti water pot sooner so you don’t have to reheat. Double the doubugang and douchi. Put 1 tbs douchi in with tofu chunks before blending. Can add gouchugang for more heat. Strain the crushed Szechuan peppercorns through a lil strainer before adding to remove sharp husks. Disregard first mention of scallions and add them at the end or on top for brightness.

I liked this a lot especially after adding hot chili oil on top

gluten free pasta options: Jovial brown rice pasta has the best taste and texture by a mile.

We used Beyond Beef instead of chopped meat and was excellent providing 30 grams of protein.

There a better uses for tofu. Disappointed that this recipe came from a really great cook.

This was good! I added a pinch of white pepper and MSG alongside the sugar and soy sauce, which is an addition that I’d recommend. Depending on the texture of your doubanjiang, it may be helpful to mince it to smooth it out before adding it. Same with the douchi

I really loved the idea of using tofu in this way. I had firm tofu but adding some water allowed me to get a pretty silky puree. I followed the directions, but subbed in gochujang sauce since its what I had. Subbed chopped mushrooms for meat and cooked until nicely brown. My sauce was super think, so didn't add the cornstarch. I was surprised by how bland this was. It was hot, but there was little depth. Next time, lime juice, fish sauce to give it more depth, plus more ginger and garlic