Wild Fennel & Tofu Chorizo Pasta

We have officially passed the Summer Solstice and summer is in full swing here in New Zealand. We’ve had many humid thunderstorms throughout this month but the sun appears to be sticking around for a while at least. We have been harvesting raspberries and strawberries, along with courgettes and stunning purple potatoes from our secret garden!

Swimming in the local rivers is something we do pretty much every day when the weather is this good (the Hutt River (Te Awa Kairangi) or Waiohine River depending on where our van’s parked up). I find the riverbanks are a brilliant place to forage as nearly everything growing there is edible or medicinal such as wild chamomile, mugwort, blackberries, nasturtiums, onion weed, and the fragrant wild fennel!

This recipe uses the fronds of the wild fennel plant, it keeps it’s liquorice flavour when cooked and is delicious with the smoky, spicy tofu “chorizo” and garlic pasta. Enjoy my fellow foragers!

Wild Fennel & Soyrizo Pasta

Ingredients: Serves 4-6

Tofu Chorizo:

2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch of cloves

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 block firm tofu, crumbled

Pasta:

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 courgettes, thinly sliced

1/2 cup white wine

8 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup wild fennel fronds, minced

1 lemon, juiced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 packet pasta, cooked and drained

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees fan bake and line a tray with baking paper. Combine all the seasonings in a bowl and stir through the crumbled tofu. Spread tofu on a single layer on the tray and bake for 25 minutes or until crispy.
In a large pan over a medium heat add the olive oil. Sauté the courgettes until lightly browned on either side. Add in the white wine, garlic, fennel, lemon, salt, and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Boil and drain pasta.
Stir courgettes and tofu chorizo through the pasta and serve with some fresh fennel fronds on top!

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