Tofu Manicotti

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. Parmesan cheese + mushroomtop 6% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together1,199 recipes

   Shared aroma: methyl 2-methylbutyrate (apple, fatty).

2. Tofu + flourtop 8% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together350 recipes

   Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

3. Onion + tofutop 9% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together729 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).

4. Onion + parsleytop 9% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together25,843 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).

5. Tofu + mushroomtop 9% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together201 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2,4-nonadienal (fatty, green).

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

What each ingredient does

Tofu

Forms the creamy, sliceable filling that holds the shells together when baked.

Egg white

Binds the tofu filling so it sets firm rather than loose when heated.

Flour

Thickens the milk into a smooth sauce that coats the shells.

Skim milk

Forms the base of the white sauce, adding moisture and body as it thickens.

Cheddar cheese

Melts over the top to add a browned, stretchy topping.

Parmesan cheese

Adds savory, salty flavor and helps the filling firm up.

The step that matters

Swap the parsley

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (onion, tofu, parmesan cheese, flour, mushroom, egg, milk):

1. Garlicfits better
2. Turmericfits better
3. Capersfits about as well
4. Parsleythe original

Fit is the average pairing score against onion, tofu, parmesan cheese, flour, mushroom, egg, milk. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.