Sweet-and-Spicy Roasted Tofu and Squash Recipe (2024)

Dear fellow tofu lovers! May I humbly suggest saving yourself so much hassle and purchasing a "tofu press". No more skillets to wrangle and not to mention soggy towels! I have never regretted getting mine. Press in the fridge, then place the tofu in the freezer to get an out of this world texture (I promise you!), thaw and proceed. It's so worth it! I rest my case.

I press tofu between 2 cutting boards, topped with my 2 biggest cast iron skillets, and place it next to the sink. Elevate the far end by placing a small plate (or anything handy that's about one inch thick) underneath and the moisture drips down into the sink! After 20 -30 min and a quick pat with a single paper towel - it's ready to go!

It was a pleasing recipe but I would not consider it at all spicy. A 1/2 tsp. of sriracha is not enough to season 2 lbs. of squash and an entire package of tofu. It is also only slightly sweet. I would use at least a tablespoon of sriracha and also more honey than the recipe suggests. To keep the honey from burning on the pan, make sure that the squash fills whatever size pan you use. If the pan is too large the sauce will spread onto the pan that has no squash and it will burn and smoke.

I have made this dish many times and love it. I used butternut tonight though have done it with acorn to the same good results. I serve it over a bed of spinach and the warm squash and tofu do the wilting. I serve it with cilantro or whatever herb I have.

This was really delicious! I used kabocha squash because it's my favorite. Instead of broiling the tofu, I roasted it while I was roasting the squash. This saved a little time, and I love the texture of roasted tofu.

I'm passing on a tip from another reader on a different tofu recipe: Japanese cooks microwave the tofu to drain water from it (apparently this is on YouTube; thank you whoever shared this). I zapped the tofu at 30 second increments, about 3 times, and could not believe how much water drained out! So much simpler and more effective than the elaborate procedure my Japanese mother used for pressing. BTW freezing significantly changes the texture of tofu IMHO.

I'm an expert with tofu and have rarely found that pressing it does anything much other than waste my time. I tried this recipe as it was written except for using maple syrup in place of honey- really yummy! It was a bit dry, over all, so next time I'll serve it with something like sauteed Swiss chard. I also won't press the tofu, but will season it generously and roast along with the squash.

My squash averse husband loved this. Delicata is definitely the way to go--the skin is tender but adds a bit more texture. The only thing I changed was swapping pumpkin seeds for sesame. It just felt more autumnal and gave a nice crunch to the dish. One piece of advice, as others have mentioned--line your pan with parchment for the squash and tinfoil when you broil the tofu. This is a sticky (and delicious) sauce that will make a mess on your sheet pan.

Have made this several times: Adding honey to a 425F pan burns the sauce and makes cleanup a chore. Instead, make the sauce with and without honey as described, but do not add to squash. Roast the squash with a little EVO until done. Add a 1/2 teaspoon of corn starch to tofu sauce so it sticks to the tofu and makes it crispy as it broils. Combine roasted squash, toasted sesame seeds and sauce with honey. Allow to sit/absorb for 5-10 mins. Serve topped with crispy tofu. Good flavors.

I baked tofu and delicata together, brushed with marinade substituting sesame oil for peanut oil. Beautifully browned and delicious with steamed baby bok choy & oyster sauce.

I make this all the time with the following changes: skip pressing the tofu (what a waste of time!), quadruple the hot sauce, double the rest of the sauce and cook everything at the same time, on the same sheet. I serve it with brown rice and garlic chard for a quick meal.

Wonderful, quick and easy! Next time, I will use a bit less soy sauce and more honey. I did not have peanut oil, but coconut oil worked well.

I have made this a lot. We make it as directed, but add more sriracha to the mix and less oil. We serve it over rice and often add another protein--shrimp, scallops, fish. It's really quite delicious.

For all those that are trying to duplicate Pei Wei's tofu on their hot salads, this is the key. Best way to get tofu firm... Absolutely. I sandwiched it between baking sheets with paper towels, then stood on it. (I am not a tall person.) but totally works.

My wife, who is generally happy to have dinner planned, much less prepared for her actually requested this! This might be a first. So. Thank you rose and all for your notes. Why the request? It’s sort of like “updated comfort food”. And who doesn’t love that?!? Exactly as written is mwah!

This recipe did not work for me. The marinade on the squash (I used kabocha) burned before the squash cooked enough. I also thought the marinade was not sweet enough and not spicy enough. The tofu was bland.

Not worth the trouble unless done with delicata. Put all squash in one pan - sauce will burn if left in empty areas of pan.

I don't usually leave reviews if I didn't like something, unless i have something constructive to say? But this is ~hands down~ the worst recipe I've ever made from NYT. Everything is horridly greasy. The squash is way overdone, turning to mush, and the sauce burned on the pan. The broiler tofu is mush, not crispy at all -- had to fry to crisp it up. One bite and I threw it all in the trash. A really disappointing waste of food, especially when trapped inside during a snow storm.

My husband really liked this; I thought it was good but not fantastic. After reading reviews, I doubled the sauce and within that also doubled (so 4x) the sriracha. Since neither of us finds sriracha that spicy, I also added one small, very hot red chili, thinly sliced. After mixing everything together and tasting, I drizzled toasted sesame oil and lime juice over everything. Used cilantro. Heat was good. I would make it again as it's simple and healthy.

Tofu did not get crispy.

Love roasted squash in the sweet-spicy sauce. Added more siracha as suggested (good idea). Tried to stay healthier and reduced oil to 2 tbs (bad idea). Saucy pieces were great, but some were dry. Lesson learned.

Made this as written and it turned out great. Next time I’ll add a little more sriracha.

I should have read the notes first, and read the directions more carefully. Step 3 says add a pinch of salt to the soy sauce. I just wish soy sauce didn't have so much salt to begin with. Adding a pinch more is insignificant. Then put the slices on a baking sheet and "...toss well." I have no idea how to "toss" oil and honey coated stuff on a baking sheet. As mentioned in other notes, the honey burns at 425 degrees, ruining the baking pan and smoking up the whole house.

Perfect with scallions and hoisin sauce at the end!

I made an extra half portion of the honey/soy marinade that I tossed with the roasted vegetables before serving, along with about 6 cups of spinach wilted in the hot oven. I served over rice.

Delicious! The sauce was a great way to use saved take-out packets of soy sauce and hot sauce. Had just enough sesame oil for it. Blistered some green beans along with the squash. Served with rice.

1/1/23: Made for Elena and I. Squash tastes great. Need more sauce for Firm Tofu.

"Cut squash into ½-inch-thick half-moons. Cut each slice in half again."I assume the second cut is cross-wise, not slicing in half again to make the half-moons 1/4 inch thick - yes? Just doublechecking. The squash in the photo looks 1/2" think, but they also still look like half moons.

Fantastic weeknight meal. Not a lot of dishes or ingredients. Prep is simpler than most NYT recipes. I used delicotta squash. Pretty and scrumptious. I one and a halfed the dressing. Removed 3 tablespoons before adding birch syrup from the Adirondacks which I substituted for honey. I then wilted a bunch of spinach and added the extra dressing to that. Tossed it all together for a one dish meal. Melissa Clark, you are wonderful!