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Top down photo of a round metal pan with a baked pasta casserole next to a plate with a portion of the paste dished up. The pasta is coated in a beige sauce and topped with melted white vegan cheese. Flecks of green herbs are scattered over the surface of both dishes.
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Tom kha pasta bake

This Thai fusion pasta bake combines the creamy coconut and aromatics of tom kha with the comfort of a bubbling cheesy casserole. Most short pasta shapes will suffice.

Ingredients

  • 160 grams dried pasta
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 ½ packed tablespoons minced lemongrass cut from the lower â…“ of the stem
  • ½ packed tablespoon packed tablespoon finely minced fresh galangal
  • ½ packed tablespoon finely minced makrut lime leaf
  • 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
  • 2 cups crumbled extra firm tofu see notes
  • 180 millilitres full fat coconut milk (â…” cup + 4 teaspoons)
  • 1 tablespoon thin soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon mushroom seasoning powder
  • 1-1 ½ cups shredded vegan mozzarella
  • Spring onions, coriander, and/or sliced chillies for topping (optional)

Instructions

Cook the pasta

  • Preheat your fan (convection) oven to 180°C (350°F). If you don’t have a fan, preheat to 200°C (390°F).
  • Bring a pot of 1% salted water to the boil. That’s 10 grams of salt (about 1 rounded teaspoon) per 1 litre water.
  • Cook the pasta until it’s 1-2 minutes shy of al dente (it will finish cooking in the oven). Drain (don’t rinse).

While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce

  • In a wok or large skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the lemongrass, galangal, and lime leaf. Fry for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
  • Add the flour and stir continuously for 1-2 minutes, forming a clumpy paste.
  • Pour in the coconut milk, stirring constantly to dissolve the paste. Stir in the soy sauce, lime juice, sugar, and mushroom seasoning, followed by the crumbled tofu.
  • Remove the skillet or wok from the heat and add the drained pasta, stirring thoroughly until evenly coated with the sauce.

Assemble and bake

  • Transfer the mixture to an oven safe baking dish and sprinkle evenly with the cheese. Cover the dish with aluminium foil and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
  • Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, until the top is golden and bubbly. Alternatively, switch the oven to grill/broil and place the uncovered dish underneath for a few minutes, watching closely to avoid burning.

Serve

  • Sprinkle spring onion, coriander, and chillis (if using) on top to serve.

Notes

Two cups of the tofu brand I use for this recipe (Tofoo) equates to 250 grams, but I've opted to provide this measure by volume; tofu densities vary, so in this case a cup measurement gives a more consistent quantity than weight.
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