Is there anything that’s not improved by smothering it in tomato sauce and cheese? I’m generally not a fan of plain bread, but slap a bit of sauce and cheese on it and call it a pizza, and I’m sold. And not even just slightly sold either, but the type of sold where I want to eat it at every meal. Even breakfast.

(I’m not even joking, what’s better than leftover pizza for breakfast?)

So why not do the same with tofu? It’s pretty flavourless on its own, so it can handle pretty much anything you throw at it. While it’s most often used in Asian cooking, it handles the rich tomato sauce here perfectly. It’s honestly as satisfying as a slice of pizza (and comparing something to pizza is not something I do lightly), and you’re saving yourself a lot of carbs… until you add a side of spaghetti, of course.

Plus if you call this dish ‘pizza tofu’, everyone will surely love it, even those that usually run a mile from a vegetarian dish. You know, just mumble the ‘tofu’ bit and stress the ‘pizza’ bit, and by the time they’ve realised what they’re eating they’ll be enjoying it so much that they won’t be able to stop.

Next time I make this I might even try adding some pizza toppings. I’m thinking some sliced olives would work perfectly.

Pizza tofu

Serves 1

200g firm tofu
3tbsp shop-bought breadcrumbs
1/2tsp dried thyme
1/2tsp garlic granules
Black pepper
1tbsp oil
2-3tbsp pizza sauce, home-made or shop-bought
30g cheddar cheese, grated (you could also try mozzarella)

Press the tofu to remove any excess water. If you don’t have a tofu press, just sandwich the slices of tofu between several sheets of kitchen paper or a clean tea towel, and place a heavy object on top. Leave it for at least 10 minutes.

In a plate or dish, combine the breadcrumbs, dried thyme and garlic granules, and season well with black pepper. Press the tofu into the breadcrumbs until it is coated in an even layer all over.

Heat the oil in a frying pan, and add the tofu. Cook the tofu over a medium heat for 5 minutes each side, or until the breadcrumbs are crispy. Spoon the pizza sauce on top of the tofu and add the grated cheese. Melt the cheese under the grill (broiler) for a few minutes, and serve with buttered pasta.