Press the tofu block for 20 minutes using a tofu press or by wrapping it in a clean kitchen towel and weighting it down—this removes excess moisture so it fries up crispy instead of steaming. While the tofu presses, whisk together the flour, salt, and black pepper in a shallow bowl. Once pressed, cut the tofu into thick slabs or cubes and gently coat each piece in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches if needed, carefully lay the coated tofu pieces in the pan and let them sear undisturbed for 3-4 minutes until the bottom develops a golden-brown crust. Flip each piece and sear the other side for another 3-4 minutes until evenly browned. I find that patience here is key—don't move the tofu around too much, as it needs direct contact with the hot pan to brown properly. Transfer the cooked tofu to a clean plate and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the freshly minced garlic to the same pan (don't wash it—those browned bits add flavor). Sauté for about 60 seconds just until fragrant, being careful not to let it burn. Pour in the vegetable broth while scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen all those flavorful browned bits. Add the cream, nutritional yeast, crushed red pepper, oregano, thyme, the additional 1/4 tsp salt, and smoked paprika. Stir everything together until smooth and combined.

Let the sauce gently simmer for 2-3 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the sauce to thicken slightly. Return the seared tofu from Step 2 to the pan along with the chopped sun-dried tomatoes, nestling them into the sauce. I like to use sun-dried tomatoes cut into 1/2-inch strips rather than larger chunks—they distribute better and add little pockets of concentrated tomato flavor throughout the dish. Simmer everything together for another 2-3 minutes until the tofu is heated through and the sauce coats everything beautifully.

Remove the pan from heat and tear the fresh basil into small pieces directly over the top—tearing it by hand rather than cutting it keeps the leaves tender and prevents browning. Give the dish a gentle stir to distribute the basil throughout, and taste for seasoning, adjusting salt or pepper if needed. Serve the tofu and sauce over your choice of sides, such as pasta, rice, or crusty bread, spooning extra sauce over the top.