This creamy tahini pasta is a hearty, healthy, and super filling vegan weeknight dinner! With simple ingredients and easy steps, this cooks in under 30 minutes!
This pasta is so creamy and delicious with a nutty tahini sauce! Made with only 4 main ingredients, this recipe couldn't be easier! Whip this tahini pasta up for a hearty, filling weeknight dinner.
Tahini is a sauce made from ground sesame seeds. It's a very common ingredient in hummus, so this tahini pasta has a lot of that hummus-like flavor! Throw in some lemon juice and spices and you've got a flavorful sauce!
Pour this sauce onto dried pasta or make your own Homemade Vegan Pasta!
Why you'll love this recipe
- Simple Ingredients - Just tahini, lemon, garlic, pasta, and some spices are needed to whip up this super flavorful pasta!
- Under 30 minutes - Boiling the pasta is the most time-consuming part of this whole recipe! The sauce comes together in just minutes.
- Hearty & Delicious - This tahini pasta dish is SO filling and satisfying. It's a full meal without adding any extra protein (though you could!)
What you need for this recipe
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Rigatoni Pasta - You can use any pasta shape you like best for this recipe! I chose to use rigatoni, but it would go great with penne, farfalle, spaghetti, or even fusilli! Gluten-free pasta works as well.
- Tahini - Pure, ground sesame seed tahini.
- Garlic - Fresh, minced garlic will give the best flavor, but jarred is fine too.
- Red Pepper Flakes - Optional, these are a great spicy garnish!
- Lemon Juice - Freshly squeezed or pre-juiced. Do not substitute this!
- Olive Oil - A high quality extra-virgin olive oil is best for this dish. Other neutral-flavored oils are fine too, or even butter.
- Salt & Pepper - Season to your liking!
How to make this recipe
Step 1: Prepare Ingredients
Begin by bringing a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil.
Finely mince 3 cloves of garlic and juice 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
Boil the pasta until just past al dente.
Drain and reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Set to the side.
Step 2: Make the Sauce
Add olive oil to a hot pan, then toss in the minced garlic.
Sauté garlic until just barely golden, but be careful as it will burn easily.
Once garlic is golden, lower the heat to medium and add lemon juice.
Next, mix in the tahini and us a whisk or a fork to combine thoroughly. Turn the heat off.
Pour in a small amount of pasta water to thin the sauce to your liking.
Step 3: Finishing touches
Add the cooked pasta to the pan with the tahini sauce and gently mix to combine.
Once all of the pasta is coated, add more pasta water if necessary. I used about ½ cup of pasta water total.
Season with salt and garnish with red pepper flakes, fresh cracked black pepper, and herbs!
Expert Tips and Tricks
- Don't forget to reserve ½ cup to 1 cup of pasta water once you boil the pasta! This is a very important part of making the sauce come out as silky and creamy and not chunky and thick!
- Top this pasta with some Crispy Roasted Chickpeas for a very hummus-like pasta dish!
- Store this pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. This pasta is best when enjoyed fresh, so be sure to heat it back up and add more water to keep the sauce loose.
Recipe FAQs
Tahini is made from ground up sesame seeds. It is often used in hummus, sauces, dips, and even desserts!
Tahinis most prominent flavor is "nutty." It is very different from other nut butters, it's much less sweet. Tahini tastes a bit like hummus.
Tahini can be used in so many ways! Make this creamy tahini pasta, throw it into Beet Hummus or Pumpkin Hummus, or even use it in baked goods or just as a dip on its own!
Related Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Creamy Vegan Tahini Pasta
Equipment
- Large Pot
- Large pan
- Sharp Knife
- Whisk or fork
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Rigatoni pasta gluten-free if necessary
- ⅓ cup Tahini
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Red Pepper Flakes
Instructions
- Begin by bringing a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil.
- Finely mince 3 cloves of garlic and juice 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
- Boil the pasta until just past al dente.
- Drain and reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Set to the side.
- Add olive oil to a hot pan, then toss in the minced garlic.
- Sauté garlic until just barely golden, but be careful as it will burn easily.
- Once garlic is golden, lower the heat to medium and add lemon juice.
- Next, mix in the tahini and us a whisk or a fork to combine thoroughly. Turn the heat off.
- Pour in a small amount of pasta water to thin the sauce to your liking.
- Add the cooked pasta to the pan with the tahini sauce and gently mix to combine.
- Once all of the pasta is coated, add more pasta water if necessary. I used about ½ cup of pasta water total.
- Season with salt and garnish with red pepper flakes, fresh cracked black pepper, and herbs!
Notes
- Don't forget to reserve ½ cup to 1 cup of pasta water once you boil the pasta! This is a very important part of making the sauce come out as silky and creamy and not chunky and thick!
- Top this pasta with some Crispy Roasted Chickpeas for a very hummus-like pasta dish!
- Store this pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. This pasta is best when enjoyed fresh, so be sure to heat it back up and add more water to keep the sauce loose.
Mary says
I understand the concept of this recipe but it came out gritty and flavorless. Had to add significant seasonings at the end to get rid of the tahini/lemon taste and still none of my family including myself ate this at the dinner table.
Emily says
Hi Mary! I am so sorry that this dish didn't work out for you! Do you know what brand of tahini you used? I know some tahini can be rather gritty and bitter, and that may have had an impact. Does your family typically like the flavor of tahini? This recipe is very tahini-forward and it isn't everyone's cup of tea! The recipe should have enough flavor to balance it out, but everyones tastes are different!