Cajun Smoky Tempeh Pasta
Chicken's got the night off. This creamy Cajun pasta swaps it for Better Nature Smoky Tempeh, torn into bite-sized pieces and fried until golden before it soaks up all that Cajun spice. Ready in about 35 minutes, and just as good as the original.
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Protein Per Serving: approx 30g
Cook time: 25 min
Serves: 3
YOU’LL NEED
For the filling
1 pack Better Nature Smoky Tempeh, torn into bite-sized pieces
½ tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated
1 tbsp Cajun-style seasoning
200g can chopped tomatoes (or passata)
½ vegetable stock cube, crumbled
250g penne (or another tube-shaped pasta)
75ml double cream (or alternative)
10g parmesan (or cheese of choice), finely grated, plus extra to serve
Juice of ¼ lemon
Chopped parsley, to serve (optional)
HOW TO MAKE IT
Fry the tempeh Heat the olive oil in a large, shallow saucepan or deep frying pan over medium heat. Add the torn tempeh, season lightly, and fry for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden all over. Tempeh's already cooked, so this step is all about colour and getting it ready to soak up flavour.
Build the sauce Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more, then scatter over the Cajun seasoning and stir so the tempeh is evenly coated. Tip in the chopped tomatoes, a splash of water, and the crumbled stock cube. Stir, bring to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes.
Cook the pasta Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the penne for a minute less than the pack instructions.
Bring it together Stir the double cream into the tempeh mixture and continue to simmer gently. When the pasta is cooked, drain well and stir it into the tempeh mixture. Finish cooking the pasta in the sauce over low heat for 2 minutes, then stir in the parmesan and lemon juice, and cook for 1 minute more. Serve straight from the pan, scattered with parsley and extra parmesan if you like.
Notes
Adapted from a classic Cajun chicken pasta. Tear the tempeh rather than slicing or cubing it — it gives a texture closer to the original chicken chunks and more surface area to soak up the sauce. If you want the dish fully vegetarian, swap in a vegetarian-labelled hard cheese instead of traditional parmesan, and double-check your stock cube is vegetable-based.
FAQs
Can I use a different Better Nature tempeh flavour?
Original tempeh works well here too if Smoky isn't available — the Cajun seasoning does most of the flavour work either way.
Is this recipe vegetarian?
Yes, as long as you use a vegetarian-labelled hard cheese and a vegetable stock cube (some parmesan and stock cubes contain animal-derived ingredients). It can also be made vegan with vegan cream alternative and vegan cheese,
Can I make this ahead?
The sauce (before adding pasta) freezes well for up to 3 months. Defrost fully and reheat until piping hot before finishing with fresh pasta.
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