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Tofu Parmigiana

A baked tofu dish topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 12 ingredients
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Why it works: Olive and tomato are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 15,539 recipes. Both carry 3-hexenal, which smells apple, fruity. The science ↓

Tofu Parmigiana

Oven400 degrees F
Time20 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the tofu

  1. Combine bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon oregano, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl.

  2. Slice tofu into 1/4 inch thick slices and place in a bowl of cold water.

  3. One at a time, press tofu slices into crumb mixture, turning to coat all sides.

  4. Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat.

  5. Cook tofu slices until crisp on one side.

  6. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil, turn, and brown on the other side.

Make the sauce

  1. Combine tomato sauce, basil, garlic, and 1 teaspoon oregano.

Assemble and bake

  1. Place a thin layer of sauce in an 8 inch square baking pan.

  2. Arrange tofu slices in the pan.

  3. Spoon remaining sauce over tofu.

  4. Top with shredded mozzarella and 3 tablespoons Parmesan.

  5. Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

883Calories
39 gProtein
34 gFat
107 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 11 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Parmesan Cheese1 oz (28g)110
Mozzarella Cheese1 oz (28g)85
Tofu100g firm76
Tomato1 medium (123g)22
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Oregano1 tsp dried (1.8g)5
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Basil5 leaves fresh (2.5g)1
Salt1 tsp (6g)0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Olive + tomatotop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together15,539 recipes

    Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).

  2. Oregano + tomatotop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together2,767 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-hexenal (green, leafy).

  3. Oregano + olivetop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together3,443 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-hexenal (green, leafy).

  4. Oregano + peppertop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together3,449 recipes

    Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

  5. Pepper + tomatotop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together17,923 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Firm tofu
Provides a sturdy, protein-rich base that holds its shape and crisps when pan-fried.
Bread crumbs
Form a crisp, browned coating on the tofu slices.
Mozzarella cheese
Melts over the top to add stretch, richness and golden browning.
Parmesan cheese
Adds savory, salty flavor and helps the coating brown.
Tomato sauce
Supplies moisture and acidity that bakes into the tofu and forms the base of the dish.
Olive oil
Conducts heat in the skillet and helps the coating turn crisp and brown.

The step that matters

Cook tofu slices until crisp on one side. Pan-frying before baking sets a dry, browned crust on the coating. Tofu added to the sauce without browning stays soft and can release water, which dilutes the crust and the flavor.

Swap the oregano

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (bread, parmesan cheese, pepper, tofu, olive, tomato, sauce):

  1. Garlicfits better
  2. Basilfits better
  3. Oreganothe original
  4. Capersfits about as well

Fit is the average pairing score against bread, parmesan cheese, pepper, tofu, olive, tomato, sauce. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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