Tofu Pasta

Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Drain 1 16-ounce block tofu, then wrap tofu completely in 2 layers of paper towels, covering all sides of tofu block. Place wrapped tofu block on large plate or cutting board.
Place heavy skillet on top of wrapped tofu. Leave tofu under skillet 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, remove skillet. Unwrap tofu and discard paper towels, then rewrap tofu in 2 fresh layers of paper towels. Make sure to cover all sides of tofu block completely. Return tofu to plate or cutting board.
Replace skillet on top of tofu block. Again leave tofu under skillet 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, remove skillet. Unwrap tofu and discard paper towels. Place pressed tofu in large bowl and use hands or potato masher to crumble tofu into small pieces.
Add 1 tablespoon neutral oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and freshly cracked black pepper to bowl. Toss ingredients until tofu is well coated in oil and seasonings. Transfer tofu to prepared baking sheet and spread tofu out into one even layer.
Place baking sheet in preheated oven. Bake tofu 10 to 15 minutes or until tofu is mostly golden, not burnt or very crispy. Once tofu is ready, remove baking sheet from oven and set aside.

Fill large pot with 16 cups water and place on stovetop over medium-high heat. Bring water to rolling boil, then stir in 1 tablespoon sea salt.
Bring salted water to rolling boil, then add 1 pound dry pappardelle. Stir to incorporate, then boil pasta according to package instructions.
Once pasta is al dente, pour pasta and water into colander and drain well. Set aside until ready to serve.

Place skillet on stovetop over medium-low heat. Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil evenly over bottom of skillet and heat pan until oil is hot and shimmery.
When oil is ready, add 3 cloves garlic and stir to incorporate. Sauté garlic, stirring constantly, 30 to 60 seconds or until just fragrant.
Once garlic is fragrant, add 2 teaspoons dried basil, 1 pinch red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon white sugar. Stir to incorporate, then let mixture simmer 1 minute.
After 1 minute, pour in 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes and stir well, scraping bottom of skillet to remove any garlic or spices that may have stuck to pan.
Reduce heat under saucepan to low and simmer sauce, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened, approximately 10 minutes.
Add baked tofu crumbles to sauce and stir well to fully incorporate. Simmer tofu in sauce 2 minutes, or until tofu is warmed through. Taste sauce and adjust basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and/or sugar as desired.

When satisfied with flavor of sauce, divide pasta into serving bowls. Top each serving of pasta with desired amount of tofu tomato sauce. Garnish with thinly sliced fresh basil and grated fresh parmesan (optional) and serve immediately.