Pasta became a part of Hungarian gastronomy somewhere at the beginning of the modern era. There are two versions for this dish (Túrós Csusza in Hungarian), a savory and a sweet variation. The sweet version, which is the one I made for the picture, is very simple but I will share the recipe for the savory one as well, with vegan bacon, of course.
This combination is scrumptious as the cottage cheese melts into the pasta. Traditionally the pasta was torn into pieces. I prefer to make my own gluten-free pasta and cut them into soft pillows. But you can also use some other type such as farfalle, fussili or wide strip pasta.
This combination is scrumptious as the cottage cheese melts into the pasta. Traditionally the pasta was torn into pieces. I prefer to make my own gluten-free pasta and cut them into soft pillows. But you can also use some other type such as farfalle, fussili or wide strip pasta.
YIELDS
4 servings
PREP TIME
COOK TIME
TOTAL TIME
- 400 g GF pasta
- 300g soft or silken tofu
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 210 g firm tofu, crumbled (1 block)
- to taste vanilla sugar
- 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 3/4 tbsp GF tamari sauce
- 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika powder
Directions
Prepare your pasta according to packaging instructions.
For the vegan cottage cheese:
1. Add the soft or silken tofu to a blender along with the nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and salt. Mix until everything is completely smooth, stopping to scrape the sides as needed. Transfer it to a bowl.
2. Crumble the firm tofu into the silken tofu mixture. Mix well to combine.
For the sweet version:
Simply mix together the warm pasta with the vagn cottage cheese. I like to keep the pasta warm because it will melt the cottage cheese and become more creamy. Season with vanilla sugar and enjoy!
For the savory version:
Mix together pasta and cottage cheese.
Prepare vegan bacon:
Place coconut flakes, tamari, maple syrup, and smoked paprika in a frying pan and toss gently to coat well. Heat up the pan over medium-high heat and frequently stirring, fry the flakes until they turn crispy. About 5–8 minutes.
I like to use a frying pan but you can also make it in the oven. For that place the mixture on a sheet covered with parchment paper, and bake them over 180°C until slightly crispy and tunes golden brown. About 6–10 mins. I think it takes less time, but depends on the pan as well. But you save the time to pre-heat the oven.
Once done, season the cottage cheese pasta with salt and pepper and garnish with the coconut bacon. You can also add a bit of extra olive oil and smoked paprika.
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Photo: Imola Toth
