I didn’t mean to disappear on you. I’d intended to start the year with soup, as I always do. I made a lovely-but-not-lovely-enough winter minestrone and then a red lentil situation but neither really seemed spotlight worthy and it can be hard sometimes but I really don’t want to publish anything here I don’t want to sing from the rooftops about. All of our time is worth more than that. While I was debating my next soup move, my friend texted and said “Can u believe the wedding is two weeks away??” and I bolted straight up in bed because, well, no. I could not believe it at all. I mean, I knew I’d told her I’d make her wedding cake. We’d discussed the headcount and flavors they liked. I had a loose idea of it in my mind and looked forward to really getting started on it… in a couple weeks. Needless to say, this is where the rest of January went and I’m going to tell you all about it next week — it’s going through some rigorous retesting and is going to be worth the wait because it’s probably one of the most delicious cakes I have ever made. But still, let’s never go on a break again.
The other kind of thing you miss very much when you’re three Kitchen Aid bowls deep in buttercream is vegetables, especially those coated in salt, acid, and heat. and I received the wonderful Diana Henry’s (she of the Bird in Hand and How to Eat a Peach fame for highly cookable recipes) most recent cookbook, From the Oven to the Table, full of sheet pan-ish meals, last fall and my favorite thing happened: I immediately bookmarked four dishes. This is what we always hope will, that we’ll instantly shake off a cooking rut we may not even have realized we were in at the suggestion of something new. I made the salsiccia con patate e pomodoro (wonderful), melting baked onions (I think I undercooked them but the potential is definitely there), toad in a hole with leeks and cheddar (soon!), a Persian-spiced spatchcooked chicken (ditto), and now this.
This is fantastic. I’ve never combined tofu and winter squash before but it was my loss. Both are coated with a soy sauce-honey-ginger mixture plus chile flakes to taste and roasted halfway, and then you spoon a lot of garlic oil over, so it gets toasty in the second half of cooking but doesn’t burn. When it comes out of the oven, you scatter it with a three-fer of sesame seeds, scallions, and lime juice and you guys, my 10-year old asked for leftovers of this in his lunchbox today. I cannot offer a dish any higher accolades* than that.
* Well, technically, if my much pickier 4 year-old asked for it, I’d probably have to be carried out on a stretcher, but for our own sanity, we don’t use 4 year-olds who routinely reject cookies as a yardstick for what is delicious.
Previously
Six Months Ago: Frozen Watermelon Mojitos
One year ago: Plush Coconut Cake
Two years ago: Sheet Pan Meatballs with Crispy Turmeric Chickpeas
Three years ago: Chocolate Dutch Baby
Four years ago: Blood Orange, Almond, and Ricotta Cake and Cabbage and Sausage Casserole
Five years ago: Key Lime Pie and Make Your Own Vanilla Extract
Six years ago: Pear and Hazelnut Muffins and Warm Lentil and Potato Salad
Seven years ago: Lentil Soup with Sausage, Chard, and Garlic
Eight years ago: Buttermilk Roast Chicken
Nine years ago: Baked Potato Soup
Ten years ago: Black Bean Soup + Toasted Cumin Seed Crema and Cranberry Syrup and an Intensely Almond Cake
Eleven years ago: Clementine Cake and Mushroom Bourguignon
Twelve years ago: Chicken Caesar Salad and Fried Chicken
Thirteen years ago: Grapefruit Yogurt Cake
Roasted Squash and Tofu with Ginger and Garlic
Please read: To ensure this recipe is gluten-free, use soy sauce or tamari labeled clearly labeled as gluten-free. To make this dish vegan, use sugar or another sweetener instead of honey.
- 14-ounce package extra-firm tofu
- 2 pounds winter squash (such as kabocha or acorn)
- 3 tablespoons honey or brown sugar (see Note)
- 1/3 cup soy sauce (see Note)
- 1/2 to 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
- 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
- 7 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil, divided
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- 2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced on the diagonal
- Juice of half a lime
Heat your oven: To 400°F. Cover 1 to 2 baking sheets with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
Prepare tofu and vegetables: Cut tofu into 1/2-inch slices, and then in half again. Halve and seed your squash — I like to remove the seeds with a metal soup spoon, which makes it much easier to get it clean. Cut squash into 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick wedges. If using two pans, you can arrange the squash on one and the tofu on another. If using one, try to puzzle them together as I do above; it will be more snug.
In a small bowl, whisk together the honey or sugar, soy sauce, pepper flakes (to taste), ginger, and 4 tablespoons of the oil. If using two pans, pour 2/3 of the marinade over the squash and 1/3 over the tofu, and turn each slice of squash over gently to coat on both sides. If using only one, use all the marinade, coating the squash and tofu together. In all cases, season the squash and tofu with salt and pepper.
Cook: Roast for 15 minutes, then using a thin metal spatula (this is my favorite), turn the squash and tofu chunks over. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 3 tablespoons oil with the garlic and spoon this all over the squash and tofu. Return pan(s) to the oven and roast until the tofu is dark and the squash is completely tender, 10 to 15 more minutes.
Serve: Directly from the pan(s) or arranged on a serving plate. Scatter with sesame seeds and scallions, and squeeze lime juice over.
Can’t wait to try it – and can’t WAIT for the wedding cake post!
*
This reminds me of my favorite sheet pan dinner (that I’m making tonight – I use less oil, overall, and 1 t of chili garlic sauce for kid palates). This is in my 13 yo’s top 3 dishes of all time (one of those is your marsala pasta bake, so you know she has good taste).
https://food52.com/recipes/56204-baked-tofu-with-coconut-kale
Thanks for this link – I love this idea for baked tofu, too!
p.s. Welcome back, Deb. We missed you!
Looks great, Deb! Can’t wait for the cake recipe!
Missed you, Deb! Can’t wait for the cake recipe!!
Found the garlic!
This sounds amazing, I will be trying it tomorrow.
Also, how do you already have a 10-year-old? I’ve been following you for ages, clearly, but a 10-year-old? That is just crazy talk. (I was GeminiGirl waaaay back in the day.)
Hi! I am not seeing where the garlic goes, but guessing in the mix with the ginger? Or is it hiding in plain sight?
It gets sliced and mixed with some peanut and sesame oil and put on top of the squash tofu mix about half way thru!
Did you mean to recommend a metal spatula via link? No link there but I need a new one and would love a recommendation! Thanks Deb!
I have this one and love it. Been using it for almost 10 years.
Did I miss the kids?
This looks great, let me see if I can trick my kids into eating it !
Funny, I have exactly these things in my kitchen right now, a Meatless Monday mandate, and previously no ideas. Thank you, Deb! You’ve saved me. Also, if you are looking for soup ideas, Julie Sahni’s soup of yellow split peas and pumpkin (made in my case with butternut squash) with basil is amazingly good and simple.
How do you eat squash that has the peel left on? I avoid recipes like this because I can’t figure out how to eat it.
In my experience you can easily and enjoyably eat Kabocha and Delicata skin but I am not so sure about Acorn.
You eat the peel. It’s totally edible.
Cut the skin off before you eat it with a knife and fork, just like you would cut the fat or bone off of a piece of meat.
Try popping the kabocha in the microwave for a minute or so to soften the rind a bit so its easier to cut. I used to be so scared of losing a finger or part of my hand because I had to use so much pressure to cut the squash.
Many kinds of squash have edible peels so way easy to do.
Cooked squash peel is totally edible!
Cooked skin of most squash is totally edible
Not for me. If I eat squash skin, I have intestinal issues. I use a knife and fork, like Jessie suggests.
Acorn squash peel is totally edible once it is roasted as well. I learned this trick from a caterer a few years. The heat of roasting softens the peel.
This sounds just like a recipe my daughter who recently had a baby would enjoy. I will make it when I visit. Thanks and welcome back!
Did you/would you serve a carb alongside? Rice maybe?
I have been cooking a version of this for a while now and I love how barley combines with it!
Jimena, how do you prepare the barley when you pair it with this dish? Thanks!
Tonight is my husband’s poker night, and I can make whatever I want. He is not a tofu fan. This was delicious! I am not usually a lover of acorn squash, but this certainly redeemed it. And I did not know that you could eat the peel! So I tried it. Not bad at all! Who knew? I may try it with butternut squash, which I do adore. Thank you for such a good…and clever recipe!
Rice, if you wish.
This reminds me of a fabulous recipe in Melissa Clark’s Dinner cookbook that combines roasted squash and tofu using a maple based marinade – its one of my favorite things to make from that book and I can’t wait to try this version!
This reminds me of a Japanese pumpkin stew I had once years ago. It had tofu and chunks of pumpkin and was SO VERY GOOD. Squash and tofu are a definite match made in heaven.
Hi Deb. Just glad you’re okay. The worrywart in me thought something might be wrong!
You don’t have a 10-year-old. NONE OF US are old enough for you to have a 10-year-old. This is a disgusting lie.
What perfect timing! There is a place in Portland called Bui’s Natural Tofu that makes tofu, including plain, lemongrass, and onion+mushroom. I just happened to stop there today where I bought some extra tofu I didn’t have a plan for yet. But serendipitiously, you’ve provided the exact plan I didn’t know I needed until now. Thank you! I can’t wait to try this out later in the week!
Would I use light or dark soy sauce for this?
I went with dark, but if you’re sensitive to salt, light might be better.
Thank you :)
Hi Deb! I’m relieved to see that you’re back! You were missed!
You do not peel the squash Before cooking? Therefore eaters have to cut away the peels. Why not remove the peels when you prep the squash? It’s more work but is a nicer presentation for the final dish.
Also,an ice cream scoop, the kind with no moving parts is great for extracting seeds.
I disagree – I think the color of the peel is a beautiful contrast for presentation. Also, it somewhat protects the squash from drying out too much. Seriously, you are eating with a knife and fork. I don’t hear people complain about having to cut the bone off a piece of meat. Same thing.
I always just eat the peel of squash! It’s completely soft when cooked, so I don’t get the fear of peel that seems evident in some of these comments.
Kabocha peel is edible. Actually all squash peels are, but kabocha and delicata are the more pleasant ones to eat.
Can’t believe your baby is ten years old.
Would butternut work with this? Or is it too different?
I make it with butternut or potimarron(not sure what it is in english) and it is delicious
I’ve seen potimarron also called red kuri squash but I’m not sure which name is more prevalent in the States (I’m in the US and know it as potimarron…). One of my favorites!
This looks great. You have it tagged as gluten-free but soy sauce has wheat in it. Substitute tamari to make it gluten-free.
Hi Stacey, you see the note written directly above the ingredients that says “Please Read,” and also the “(see Note)” written beside the honey/sugar and soy sauce in the ingredient list?
That system works well for me in this age of a multitude of dietary preferences and concerns.
Think you might have a typo – there’s no possible way Jacob can be 10 years old already. Wasn’t he just a little baby squish w/ chicken legs with a cinnamon swirl of hair on his tiny head? Please check your records and update and until then I’ll be holding my own babies and crying because time is a cruel, cruel thief. <3
It is so easy to buy a couple packages of tofu and just store them in the freezer until you want to use them! It works well!!
I know that not everyone has them, but grapefruit spoons do a fantastic job on removing seeds from squash. Back in the day when I had small children, we even used them on pumpkins. The serrated edges scrape the seeds and strings right out. They were something people just had when I was growing up in the 50’s and 60’s.
This looks wonderful. I can’t wait to try it. I always have frozen tofu in the freezer. The problem is getting it out in time to defrost. I’m buying a squash today. This is not a recipe to delay on!
Oh thank you, now I have reason to look for grapefruit spoons at my thrift stores!
This reminds me of a sesame-gochujang roasted squash recipe I recently found on Bon Appetit’s website and made. It was really good! Spicy and savory with the sweetness of winter squash seems to be a great combination.
Don’t skip the lime! I made this and didn’t have lime on hand. It wasn’t bad, but I could tell that it would have been much tastier with lime. (I substituted yuzu.)
I will make this, probably tomorrow night! But the trick I have found to drying tofu is to pour boiling, salted water over the cut tofu then blotting it dry.
Terrific! My 12-year-old is doing Veganuary and we have hit a food rut of rice and beans rotating with tofu and bok choy. (We are not normally vegan.) Will be so exciting to introduce a new option in this last week of the month. Looks scrumptious.
Yum and welcome back. I doubt I was the only one just a teenie bit worried about you. Can’t wait to try this AND see the cake!
I made this tonight and it was delicious. Instead of squash I used a sweet potato because it’s what I had. For the sauce, I used dark soy sauce and brown sugar. It gave a nice caramel flavor.
I made this for dinner tonight, with a few changes: I added a teaspoon of sesame oil in place of a tablespoon of the vegetable oil, and used two tablespoons of sesame seeds – great flavors! I also had to cook it 15 minutes longer than the recipe recommended – just keep checking the squash for tenderness. Different squash take different times to cook, and have different degrees of sweetness. Some people might prefer a bit more sweetener, which would create a thicker sauce also, but I liked it because it wasn’t syrupy-sweet.
For those with a Trader Joe’s nearby – they offer tofu in the traditional package with water, but they also offer one that is extra firm and vacuum packed, sort of, with no water. You DON’T have to squeeze out the water – because there isn’t any. A great find.
Wow! Good to know. Thanks!
This was easy to make and delicious. I loved how the edges of the squash got crispy and caramelized. Thanks for a great recipe!
Omg I want to try this! Looks amazing for a cold winter night at home!
So, I made this last night, and it was… perfectly fine. But we didn’t find it very exciting, which was a bit disappointing since my spouse and I both really like squash and tofu, separately or together. In particular, I didn’t find the tofu very flavorful — I think it might have been better stir-fried with this sauce, rather than roasted. And I didn’t find the squash had that much additional flavor either, beyond its basic squashiness. Maybe I should have used more red pepper in the sauce (I used 3/4 tsp) and extra lime juice at the end. FWIW I used kabocha squash (my favorite), left the skin on, and it was nicely cooked after 30 minutes total cooking time. Easy and tasty, so no real complaint, but if I try this again I’ll play around with the sauce to see if I can make it a little more flavorful.
Did you use 1 pan or 2? From my experience, use the 2 pans but mix the squash and the tofu on both pans. Then pour the sauce (I used 1 heaping teaspoon of red peppers) on it all….meaning, of course 1/2 on one pan etc. Definitely flavorful. (you could also add some sesame oil).
I did one other thing when I reheated the next night: I made more of the honey/soy/ginger/sesame oil marinade and used it as a drizzle. I’m thinking you might want to make 1 1/2X the marinade & drizzle on when done after sprinkling w/green onions & toasted sesame seeds.
Had this for dinner last night and loved it! We served it with black rice (new for us but delicious) and broccoli. Our overtired 15-month old LOVED it until she got a piece of tofu with too much kick to it and she had a total meltdown and had to go to bed. Next time we’ll definitely use two pans and I might cut down the red pepper flakes to 1/4 tsp for the baby. Then again, she liked it for the first 15 minutes so the meltdown may have been more due to exhaustion than spice…
I feel the exact same. It was nice, but nothing super special. I probably wouldn’t make it again, but I still ate it and enjoyed it well enough.
I just made this for dinner because the photo made me salivate. It was such a good dinner! I forgot to buy scallions but I steamed some broccoli to have alongside because I always want something green.
The one thing I did differently from the recipe was trading maple syrup (1.5 tablespoon) for the honey/brown sugar.
I will be making this again… soon!
So glad you are posting again! I was worried about you.
This was awesome! I subbed sweet potatoes for squash and I sliced them thin enough that they got crispy, chip-like in the oven. I also made a little extra glaze and poured it on to serve.
This is perfect for your return to the site, because I have some extra-firm tofu waiting to be used, and I had no inspiration. This looks delicious as well as healthy.
I have every single ingredient for this dish, right now. How serendipitous is that?!
I have found the freezing tofu trick to work quite well, especially to get rid of the “mush” texture that can be so unpleasant for tofu novices.
Another tofu trick – once it is drained, diced, and dried, give it a toss in a bit of cornstarch before pouring on your sauce. I don’t know how well it works for this dish, but it can be very helpful for pan-fried/wok-seared type dishes.
I made this last night. My only changes were to use already peeled and diced butternut squash from Whole Foods and for the hot pepper flakes to use gochugaru flakes (about 2 tablespoons as they are not that spicy). We served this over rice with a side salad of cucumber and radishes spiced with gochugaru, gochujang and a bit of rice vinegar. Excellent meal, would satisfy both veggies and meat lovers. Will make it again.
I was skeptical of tofu & squash together, but I made this and it was totally delicious! Salty from the soy sauce but sweet from the squash. And very easy. Really cozy and simple for a winter dinner. Ate with some white rice, and also used about half sesame oil, per another reviewer’s comment, which I really liked. I think it I did it again, I would add more ginger, since I didn’t taste that as much. But overall so yummy.
I made this tonight using Butternut Squash (couldn’t get Acorn Squash). It was delicious! However, be warned that the roasting-until-soft timing on the squash may have to be increased. Mine took about 25 min on the second roasting step. I would definitely make this again, but be mindful about the time needed to soften the squash.
Wait… Jacob is ten? TEN?! I remember when you made the pregnancy announcement. That was more than ten years ago? OMG.
Time flaps and whatnot. Oy.
Glad you’re back; you were missed.
Im not a fan of tofu, but Im always looking for new ways to use squash, and this looks great
Some one said broccoli. What other veg would you serve this with?
You might also enjoy the black pepper tofu and eggplant.
Love Diana Henry’s Book! When it wasn’t in my Christmas stocking, I had to buy it – so good! We loved the chicken with plums, honey and pomegranate, and the chicken with wild mushrooms. So many good things, though. Glad you’re enjoying it too.
I made this pretty much exactly as the recipe stated, peeled the squash since mine was a bit gnarly.
Everything tasted great, don’t skimp on the lime.
I popped mine back under the broiler for a few minutes after adding the sesame seeds and scallions to brown it up a little more.
I will definitely make this one again.
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020468-perfect-boiled-eggs?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article
This is completely off subject but I remember some time back you were having trouble peeling hard boiled eggs and asked your readers if they had any suggestions. The above link to an article in The New York Times has the answer. (They cooked 700 eggs using different methods before finding the perfect method.)
I made myself an egg salad sandwich for the past 14 days and out of 14 eggs only one was difficult to peel. And I still peeled it without taking any chunks out of it.
The secret? Steam the eggs for 10 to 11 minutes then don’t dunk them in an ice cold water bath. (I run them under cold water for a 1/2 minute so I can hold them.) Hope this helps!
I think some eggs are peskier to peel than others, but I do swear by the cold-from-fridge and then cold-plunge method for easy removal. I never steam. I get 95% of my peels off easily, but usually when I cannot, it’s the whole dozen that was difficult, whatever that variety of hen was. I cannot believe they cooked 700 eggs. I hope they didn’t go to waste.
https://smittenkitchen.com/2009/08/how-to-hard-boil-an-egg/
This looks awesome. I love Kabocha squash since you can eat the skin and the umami mix of soy sauce, garlic and honey. Made this recipe and will be looking into other sheet pan vegetable recipe variations that I can eat throughout the week. Missed your posts Deb, thanks for all you do!
Excellent! But I’m glad I halved the soy sauce. I haven’t seen low sodium around where I live so 1/3 cup would’ve been too salty.
Butternut squash was great–peel and all!
What a bonanza this week’s post was! So many WONDERFUL things to make….the squash, citrus and noodle dishes just sing. What a lovely gift. Can’t wait to make all of them. You never disappoint. Thank you!
Hi Deb,
I have a garlic allergy (so sad!) – do you think this would work ok just skipping the garlic oil entirely, so roasting for 15, flipping, then roasting for the remainder?
Thank you!
Yes. You can add other spices for seasoning. Or try a minced shallot oil?
This dish sounded wonderful, but I made it last week and threw most of it into the trash. The texture of the kabocha squash was way too dense and dry. Perhaps another type of squash with a softer texture would have worked better. Also the skin of the kabocha is rough and tough, so I peeled it first, which is not mentioned in the recipe, and that added to the laborious task of making this dish. Pressing the water out of the tofu was not a big deal, but by the time this meal came out of the oven I had used almost every pan and dish in the kitchen.
I really liked the tofu but I didnt love the squash. I want to try it again but with broccoli.
This dish was a hit for a family dinner with grandkids, but I wish you included nutrition information with all recipes. Some of us are tracking various items (sodium especially) and the information would be helpful.
Many of Deb’s recipes are on MyFitnessPal so if you need nutrition facts, check there!
This sounds fabulous! One change, though, especially as you have children who are going to have to cope with climate change — give them a head-start and teach them to use old (linen) tea towels instead of paper towels. Works a charm!
Actually, it worked well without any towels! I just put the piece of Tofu between two wooden boards and a carafe with water on top and let it sit on the sink for a while. The water just ran of the boards (the remaining rest I just shook off)…
Hmmm…one of the very few recipes from Deb that will not be immediately added to my weekly or monthly rotation. I followed the recipe exactly (as I typically do first time out), even going so far as to freeze the tofu overnight. The tofu had not fully defrosted by the time dinner came around so perhaps it did not absorb as much of the sauce as it might, but while crispy (cooked on a separate sheet pan), it did not have much flavor. The acorn squash was flavorful though soy was the primary flavor, rather than the blend, but it was not crisp. I often make the acorn squash with chili lime vinaigrette and I love the crispness of the squash that is not flavored until it leaves the oven. If I were to make this recipe again, unlikely TBH given how many amazing recipes I’ve found on this site, I’d let the tofu marinate in the soy/ginger/oil mix for a while before roasting and I’d roast the squash simply tossed with a little oil and then dressed once crisp. Just my thoughts.
I had the same experience tonight, used butternut squash. I loved the squash but not the tofu; I think it’s because I didn’t distribute the marinade equally. I also felt turning over each piece individually was a hassle. Next time I might cut the squash & tofu into even, small cubes, toss it all with the marinade in a bowl for an hour, then roast & top with garlic oil etc.
To serve a 2nd time, I served on a bed of hummus (Costco Sabre pinenut aka not very garlicy) w/ more green onions, toasted sesame seeds & soy sauce/honey/ginger/toasted sesame seed oil glaze as drizzle. W/ the tofu cut up into bite-sized pieces.
Really good….and we’ll be eating it this way from the start. Oh yes, substituted toasted sesame oil for some of the oil in the glaze. Will be cutting the tofu in half again….but leaving the squash in the slices of the pictures.
Re: frozen tofu. Not to complicate matters, but I find frozen-then-thawed tofu to be crumbly and chewy in an odd way. However, I think frozen-then-boiled tofu is excellent – see Mark Bittman on this topic. It absorbs flavors much better than fresh tofu and has a great firm texture. I bring water to a boil, plunk the frozen tofu in, then simmer for 15 minutes. Bonus: no pressing required.
Wow – delicious! Spot on as usual. I’m surprised by the folks who thought this was bland – I thought it was super tasty, and my kitchen still smells delicious 12 hours later
A little hack – you can use one of those clawed grapefruit spoons to seed/clean a squash :)
Yum!!! I used butternut pumpkin and it was so good, didn’t need the extra oil as there was plenty of marinade left. I used dark soy and the flavour was a little strong so use light soy if you can. The lime juice at the end… So good
This recipe was super delicious. Only addition i would say is, if you have the time to soak just the tofu in the marinade beforehand for maybe 30 mins i would advise that, just because it’s hard for tofu to retain the flavor with just a light dressing in the mixing bowl. Fantastic tho!
Was there supposed to be a link in the recipe for a thin metal spatula? I need a new one and would love to see what you’re using!
Whoops — I’ve used this one for a decade. Will add the link.
We loved this! Used acorn squash and split between two sheet pans. Lime at end was critical! Skipped sesame seeds due to allergy.
This is SO good! I did separate the tofu from the squash after the first 15 minutes so that it would crisp up.
Made this recipe for dinner this evening – delicious! I used 1 slightly heaped tsp of pepper flakes. About the right level of heat for me. Would be even better with the lime (I was sure I had one, seems it has gone AWOL); am now wondering if I can serve it to non-veggie friends for dinner next week. Any opinion, meat lovers?
Over 12 hours later, with half of those with a wide-open window, and my house still smells like burnt ginger and sugar. I usually love love love your recipes, but there is no way that marinade should be poured over the pieces on the baking sheet. The brown sugar in the marinade just wants to burn at this temperature. So much of the ginger ended up just burning on the parchment rather than on the tofu or squash, even after I tried to move the wee minced pieces onto them. The squash pieces all got burned on the first side at 15 minutes prescribed here, so even if you dredged the pieces in marinade before placing on the sheet, the meal still would be burned. Also, parchment is not optional. I was at the end of my paper roll and didn’t have enough to fully cover my 2nd pan. Even with soaking overnight, my favorite baking sheet that I use for roasting is ruined. It’s been 30 years since I cried over something I cooked. This was a waste of beautiful ingredients and such a surprise because your recipes always seem so well tested.
Get some Barkeeper’s Friend and your pan will be saved!
Very tasty as has been every single recipe I ever tried from your site! Thank you for that. For my taste, this had a bit too much oil – I think shaved/thinly sliced garlic could have been added alone (without oil) halfway through the cooking process. Wish I had tossed the ingredients with the marinade in a bowl prior to putting on silicone mat/sheet pan. I always regret having to scrub scorched puddles of sauce off my mats or pans at the end. Thank you for another delicious dinner!
I made this last night and was pretty pleased. I realized when I came to post this comment that I totally forgot to top with scallions OR sesame seeds OR lime, all of which I had planned on. So it was a little bit less flavorful than it could have been, but it was fine. I might try making it again with the full toppings, but otherwise at this point I liked it but probably wouldn’t add it to the rotation. It’s a little bit too simple to serve as a full meal for us (even with something like rice on the side), and doesn’t quite fit as a side dish.
Notes: someone noted that the kabocha squash requires peeling, but I disagree – just roast it with the skin on, and let everyone decide on their own whether they want to eat it or not. I also didn’t have any issues with the marinade burning as someone else noted – and I’ve made many similar marinades for tofu and never had an issue. Maybe because I usually use honey instead of sugar?
I put the tofu on one pan and squash on a second. Tofu took less time to cook and was dry, while the squash pan had a lot of liquid on it so didn’t really crisp up. Maybe it’s better to mix up both on the same pan, or do 2/3 marinade on the tofu and 1/3 on squash instead of vice versa.
This was wonderful, Deb! Because my kiddos are somewhat anti-squash, I added thick wedges of cabbage (which melted down beautifully) and chunks of celery (which nobody but me liked). Thank you for the recipe!
Great, weird recipe, thanks 😄. A few notes:
I froze tofu, and marinade ratio came out perfectly. I’ve actually pre-soaked tofu in a soy sauce marinade and had It come out much too salty, so I would advise against that recommendation given by another commenter.
Butternut squash took maybe 35-40 minutes.
I did not flip.
I added some red onion and mint, delicious.
I eyeballed marinade amounts and added extra soy sauce and oil- and 3 heaping tsp is brown sugar – still needed a bit of salt at end.
Served with brown rice.
Delish! Light modifications:
– Used pre-pressed, sprouted tofu: it’s the bomb
– Used more ginger
– Decreased the honey
– Made extra marinade and used it to roast broccoli in a separate pan
I’m vegetarian, and this will go into the roster for sheet pan meal prep! Thanks Deb!
This was delicious! I had minced garlic opposed to thinly slicing so just put directly in marinade and worked out just fine. Served with rice, snap peas and chicken sausages for my husband (he’s a work in progress). Will be putting this recipe in rotation – thanks Deb!
My mixed vegetarian/non-vegetarian family enjoyed this dish. I used acorn squash which I pre-cooked half-way in microwave before slicing and roasting with delicious results (not to mention much easier to cut into wedges and done at the same time as tofu). Next time I will increase the lime juice, and add either sesame oil or a bit of sea salt on the finished product. Very satisfying with basmati rice.
I’ve made this with acorn squash, sweet potatoes, and Brussels sprouts. Tonight is the first time I tried it with tofu. I really like this marinade and think it could be good on all sorts of things. I have never used the sesame seeds or lime, and still think it’s delicious. Scallions are nice but not necessary for us. I’ve been using coconut sugar and dark soy sauce.
So delicious. In my perfect world I’d love to be able to bookmark or save my favorites on your site as I do on others. Your writing and cooking ideas inspire me.
I made this tonight with only a few minor tweaks. I tossed the squash and marinated the tofu in the sauce—mostly because I consider myself a poor “drizzler”! I also added quartered bok choy in the last 10 minutes for some extra green and crunch.
I would make this every week! Simple, satisfying and such dynamic flavor!
Deb – two foods i didn’t think I liked, Tofu – yuck, acorn squash -yuck. and I liked this dish, just finished my lunch and sad that it is all gone. How do you do this? Brainwashed. If Deb posts it, it must be good. :)
It was delicious!
Immediately after I was gifted fresh ginger, this recipe showed up, so clearly it was meant to be. I’ve made it three times (slightly differently each time) and each version was delicious. Thank you, Deb, for creating such foolproof recipes!
Here’s what worked for me: I much prefer pressing to freezing tofu, and with TJ’s extra-firm, vacuum-sealed tofu you only need to press for 15-30 minutes. I used less oil than the recipe calls for (3-4 tbs) and didn’t feel anything was missing. Since I don’t have a grater that works well, I tried both mincing the ginger and blending the sauce and found the bigger chunks from mincing to be a little bit more flavorful. And I roasted everything at 425 degrees for 30-40 minutes.
Made this last night and it was delicious – a new recipe to add to our go-to list! And so helpful that the ingredients are long-lasting, making it good for this moment of trying to reduce the frequency of grocery trips. Many thanks, as always, for your terrific recipes and posts. And sending good wishes to you and your NYC friends and family.
This was awesome, thank you, Deb! I served over arugula, which was delicious. I think grains would be great too. I might add another vegetable next time (roasted cabbage or peppers?). This is getting added to the weeknight rotation!
*I tried the tofu freeze method you shared. It works well, but don’t make my mistake and forget to thaw it (FTR texture was still great even after a microwave defrost).
This was delightful! I subbed a white fish for the tofu (bc, #quarentinecooking), and it worked well (didn’t put it in til the squash had been in for 15 min). The oil amount seemed hefty but may have been because of the substitution I made. Didn’t have lime, but a sprinkle of rice wine vinegar added nice acidity. Don’t skip the sesame seeds! The texture is lovely!
I made this and thought it was great! So many of my favorite ingredients in one dish. I roasted the squash and tofu in two separate pans, and noticed that the squash was done before the tofu–could be that I need to cut the tofu into smaller cubes or dry the tofu more before roasting. All in all though, the flavors were perfect. I plan to make this again. Thank you!
This did not turn out for me. Not sure why. I froze the tofu as instructed and did everything else as directed. The sauce was good, however the tofu was a bizarre texture and never browned. Maybe it was the brand? I think I’ll use the sauce for a stir fry with these ingredients next time. Sorry! I love the idea, though. Especially during the pandemic, when we aren’t buying meat anymore out of respect for meat plant workers. Thanks!
I really enjoyed this recipe – it was easy, and didn’t make too many dishes. The smell of the garlic once it was added was divine, and it tasted even better. I made the recipe exactly as written (using frozen/thawed tofu), though I would be interested to see if the amount of oil could be reduced or replaced with something else and have as good an end result. Patting the tofu dry took a towel – there was so much moisture, but wow, did that tofu suck up the marinade!
I served this with plain basmati rice which was a nice canvas for the delicious pronounced flavour of the main dish.
I’ve made this twice now, once with butternut and once with acorn. Both were delicious and I don’t think the type of squash used makes much of a difference in flavor.
I also don’t like heat so I left out the red pepper flakes, and I can’t be bothered with scallions so I left those out too. I still think the dish was plenty flavorful.
Deb, what did you serve with this? I couldn’t figure out a side! (Something green? That would feel like the whole meal was just vegetables! Some sort of grain? But squash is kind of carby so that also feels redundant!)
This was wonderful! the squash & tofu were a wonderful combo – the whole family loved it!
Just made this: 1.5 lbs squash, and a 1/4 of a large head of purple cabbage sliced 3/4-1” thick with the tofu. The cabbage was good, the squash was amazing. The lime really made it shine.
Next time, I’d either use the same tofu-prep method described in Deb’s peppery eggplant and tofu, or go with the suggestion of other commenters and marinate the tofu for a while first. These are just tweaks and not total overhauls, though — both of us enjoyed the recipe. Don’t skip the garlic cloves midway through; don’t skimp on the red pepper flakes if you like heat; and do know that the recipe as written turns out sweet. I like sweet things and didn’t think it was too much, but if you’re sensitive to it, just bear that in mind.
This is my all time favorite recipe. I can not make it often enough. It is perfect in the fall with all the winter squash available. This recipe can convert a non tofu eater. I put the scallions on during the last few minutes of cooking and allow them to get a little crispy. I also have reduced the amount of oil by 1 tablespoon with the garlic and have not seen a detrimental effect. I also have not used the sesame seeds or lime juice since I never seem to have it on hand. Thank you for sharing it.
Tasty, but a bit heavy and a lot of the same sweet flavour to serve as a stand-alone meal. Next time, for a small family, I would prepare a smaller portion and offer it with at least a couple other dishes/sides. I thought it needed rice as a side, but it’s a bit too dry for plain rice, and I’d be hesitant to prepare a sauce, as the squash and tofu are already quite sweet and salty. Not sure how best to tackle it as its own meal, but as one offering on the table, to complement something savoury, it would be nice.
Such a lovely, simple meal! I did the full 2tsp of red pepper and it was nice and spicy but nothing crazy. Similar to how I make tofu pretty often, but the addition of honey and the squash kicked it up a notch. Fast and rewarding, will make again!
Hi Deb, I just had to send a quick note as I start to make this again for dinner. My son and I both love it. I have made it with many different kinds of squash including kabocha which was our favorite. Today I am making it with a leftover pie pumpkin from Thanksgiving. I will probably peel it first but that’s not hard. Your vegetarian recipes are always so good. Thank you for this one!
This recipe reminded me of an intriguing suggestion I once read to add squash to miso soup, and I finally made this today, after almost a year of looking at it. It’s quite good and I am likely to make it again — maybe even just the squash or just the tofu — but I had a problem, which I have once had with soy sauce over the stovetop as well. It burnt in the corners of the sheet pans, and the squash wedges in those corners both smell and taste quite bad. How do you avoid this?
Oh and a second, unrelated question. What do you serve this with?
This is actually the first time ever that I am asking this question, after reading it many times on various websites, and feeling puzzled by it! This recipe has finally made me appreciate the question :)
This was absolutely delicious!! Even my husband liked the tofu. Thank you!
I am obsessed with this recipe and made it twice this week, once as written and again a) substituting some eggplant (no pre-salting and it was fine) for some of the kabocha squash; b) cutting the oil by ~1/3 and not adding more oil when I added the garlic; and c) chopping the ginger bc I didn’t feel like washing my grater. I didn’t see the point of freezing the tofu. I used avocado oil. I paired it with short grain brown rice.
I am puzzled by the reviews that panned (sorry!) this one, except for the comment concerning brown sugar. So if you have not made the recipe, fwiw here’s some thoughts:
The oil seems like it could make/break this dish. l I cannot stand vegetable oil and peanut oil is a little weird to me, which is why I used avocado oil.
The post alludes to the pan getting “more snug,” but each piece should have its own real estate on the pan and not touch any other piece.
I can’t imagine proceeding without parchment paper.
I also can’t imagine using a pan that is thin. Mine is decades-old and made of weighty stainless steel.
A generous amount of fresh lime juice is critical, as are the salt and pepper. Lime, salt, and black pepper constitute the flavor-popping tik marij (Cambodian) that adds way more flavor than you’d think.
I don’t think I’d like this recipe with any squash except kabocha, because it can really stand up to the soy sauce. Kabocha is no stranger to Japanese cuisine, for instance. (I know it looks impossible, but eating the peel is easy-peasy!)
For me, the tofu never got crisp, but it was not a dealbreaker for me. I think you really need all the oil if you want crisp tofu in the oven, maybe more heat/time, maybe the lowest rack, maybe a cast iron pan? I’ve never had crisp tofu in an oven that wasn’t lamentably dry.
Good luck and I hope you end up loving this recipe!
I made this last night and it’s definitely going on our list of go-to meals. I think it could be a very flexible recipe, depending on what’s in the pantry. The marinade is a winner (I used honey, substituted two T oil with sesame oil and increased the amounts of ginger and chili flakes). I soaked the tofu and squash in the marinade for about a half hour before putting it on in the sheet pan. Served it with brown rice. I thought there would be leftovers for the next day but we ate it all with gusto! Thanks for a great recipe
Deb, Maggie and I just made this. Our dogs Raymond and Yolo were so curious about the smells! When the fragrance billowed from the oven as I carefully pulled them out our darling puppies howled with joy!! I was surprised the tofu got so crispy (we used your fast trick) and Maggie loved the CRUNCH of the scallions. Our only recommendation would be some extra sauce to wet the whistle. Will make again!
With all respect, wondering if this was originally made with the frozen tofu? I did use the frozen technique (also with the 2 pan method) and the bottoms burnt in the first 15 minutes. Maybe the frozen tofu needs more sauce since it soaks it up? Squash was delicious though, thank you!
I have made this multiple times, exactly as directed, and love it every time. I normally use delicata or acorn squash as I prefer those to kabocha. A few times I haven’t had a fresh lime on hand, so used a splash of rice or apple cider vinegar at the end for the needed acid. This one’s a keeper.
This was very tasty, but next time, I’ll make more sauce. Maybe even try marinading the tofu ahead of time.
I used a ton of fresh ginger. I put it in the food processor with a big bunch of sherry vinegar, soy sauce and oil. I put the pepper flakes, sliced squash and frozen tofu slices on a big bowl and hauled the whole thing to my daughter’s house. Three hours later, I baked the squash for a bit longer than suggested and the tofu for shorter. Lots of sauce to go on the rice. Tons of lime juice at the end. The toddler grandson inhaled it. We all liked it a lot.
Tasty.
I made a simple tahini dressing (sesame tahini, water, lemon juice/vinegar, honey) and drizzled over the top, it balanced out the strong salty soy flavors nicely.
I CANT get over how delicious this recipe is. I am loving the flavors of this dish. I will definitely be making this again and again.
This is so delicious! We make it with smoked tofu and it is one of my favourite weeknight meals. Thank you for another great recipe that is so much more than the sum of its parts.
Fabulous, savory, and beloved by vegans and omnivores! This recipe has entered my permanent rotation.
The food is quite new, the instructions are quite meticulous. I really like the taste of this dish.
This looks great but I don’t eat soy products. Do you think it will still be tasty w/o the tofu?
I made this tonight, following the recipe exactly, and it tasted pretty good, but I had a weird problem I’ve never had before – the sauce separated on the baking tray. I first noticed it when I pulled it out after the first 15 minutes – the soy/honey/ginger was clumped up and the oil (I used organic canola) was not mixed up with it. I added the garlic and extra oil and tried to stir the extra oil around but to no avail – when I pulled it out again, the soy/honey/ginger clumps were totally blackened, hard, and burned. It wasnt stuck to the pan (or the food), with the amount of oil it sort of just slid off. As a result I think the dish wasnt as flavorful because the flavor was basically burned off. The lime, scallions, and sesame seeds helped. Any idea why this may have happened?
Just when I thought I could not face another fish dinner (but I have to), this recipe came along to inspire. I put tuna steaks in for the final ten minutes of cooking, spooning the dressing over. Delicious for supper, and the tofu-squash was plenty for next day lunch too.
Made this today and doubled the recipe. Half was the recipe above and half was about 2 cups of butternut squash with 2 cups of chickpeas. My husband and I both thought it was delicious and plan to make it again.
this looks amazing and it will be made. soon.
but where is the toad-in-the-hole mentioned above??
i make it all the time but some elevation would be fun.
thank you!
I am a fan of your cookbooks and recipes
I made this tonight. I used delicata squash as the peel is so edible.
It was great , made it exactly
But next time I will use 1less TBSP of oil.
The lime squeeze is essential . It cuts the oiliness but I would still use one Tbsp. less next time
What would you serve with this to make a complete dinner?
I’m planning on making this later this week. I wonder if you have tried the boiling tofu trick I have been seeing a lot in the past few months? It’s less planning than freezing, apparently better than pressing. I’d love to know if you have ever tried (or plan to try).