Fresh Red Bell Pepper and Chipotle Pasta, Grilled Mesquite-Smoked Tofu with a Cherry-Ancho Glaze

By Nicole_Pryce

Ingredients

• Cherry & Ancho Glaze
• 1 tbs. olive oil
• 2 tbs. shallot (minced)
• 1 tbs. garlic (minced)
• Saute the shallot & garlic on med-low until lightly browned.
• 1 cup of fresh cherries (pitted and lightly chopped)
• 1 tbs. agave
• 1 tbs. tamari
• 1 tsp. ancho powder
• black pepper to taste

Preparation

Step 1

Add the cherries, agave, tamari and ancho powder and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cherries have broken down -- about 10 minutes. Add the fresh ground black pepper and check for seasoning and balance. You may need to add more agave (or brown sugar) depending on how sweet the cherries were. Add the cherry mixture to the blender and puree until smooth.

Pour the mixture into a shallow pan or plate and add the smoked tofu cutlets and turn to coat thoroughly. Let marinate for at least 20 minutes. Grill the cutlets, basting occasionally, keep an eye on them so they don't burn (because of the sugar).

The pasta was taken out of the fridge and allowed to come back to room temp. It was rolled out thinly and cut into strips (think tagliatelle) with a pizza cutter, as in the picture above.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a pinch of salt and cook the pasta in batches until it floats to the top.