Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Lightly grease a large rimmed metal sheet pan with ½ tablespoon of the olive oil.

Using your hands, tear the tofu into small, irregular crumbles directly onto the pan. Keep most of the pieces between ¼ and ½ inch, with some finer crumbles throughout. Avoid leaving large chunks; smaller pieces will become darker, chewier, and more ground-beef-like. Drizzle the tofu with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle with the nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, sweet paprika, thyme, black pepper, coriander, and red pepper flakes. Toss until evenly coated.

Spread the tofu into a single layer, leaving as much room between the pieces as possible. Bake for 15 minutes. This initial dry-seasoning stage allows moisture to escape before the wetter seasonings are added.

Glaze and deeply brown the tofu

While the tofu begins baking, whisk together the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, maple syrup or molasses, and smoked paprika in a small bowl. Remove the pan from the oven. Drizzle the seasoning mixture over the partially browned tofu and toss thoroughly, scraping up any browned pieces from the pan.

Spread the tofu back into a thin, even layer. Bake for another 12 minutes. Stir, then bake for an additional 5 to 8 minutes, until the tofu is dark brown, reduced, and chewy with crisp edges. For deeper color, place the tofu under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes, watching it constantly and stirring once if necessary. It should look deeply browned but not dry or burned. Set aside.

While the tofu bakes, add the soaked cashews, plant-based milk, vegetable broth, nutritional yeast, miso, Dijon, pickle brine, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, turmeric, salt, and black pepper to a high-speed blender. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes, or until completely smooth and creamy. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until just shy of al dente, about 1 minute less than directed on the package. Before draining, reserve 1 cup (240 ml) of the pasta water. Drain the pasta without rinsing.

Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and beginning to develop golden-brown edges. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.

Add the tomato paste, sweet paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the tomato paste darkens to a deep brick-red color and begins sticking to the bottom of the pan. This step gives the sauce much of its concentrated, long-cooked flavor.

Pour in 1 cup vegetable broth, scraping the bottom of the pan to release all the browned tomato paste. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until slightly reduced.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and pour in the cashew cheddar sauce. Cook gently for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce is hot and beginning to thicken. Do not let it boil vigorously. If using vegan cheddar shreds, add it and stir until completely melted.

Add the drained pasta and approximately three-quarters of the baked tofu crumbles to the sauce. Gently fold everything together until the pasta and tofu are thoroughly coated. Add ½ cup (120 ml) reserved pasta water and simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes. Add additional pasta water or vegetable broth as needed until the sauce is glossy, abundant, and slightly looser than you ultimately want it. It will continue thickening as it rests.

Stir in the vegan butter, if using, and 1 tablespoon pickle brine. Taste and add more pickle brine, sea salt, black pepper, or nutritional yeast as desired.

Remove the skillet from the heat and let the pasta rest for 2 minutes. Spoon the remaining dark, crispy tofu crumbles over the top so some retain their browned edges.

Finish with chopped pickles, scallions, parsley, black pepper, or crushed red pepper flakes, if desired. Serve immediately.