Creamy tahini pasta made with just a few ingredients and ready in about 15 minutes. Also very adjustable; you can add more ingredients according to what you have or what you crave.
Do you happen to have a jar of tahini in the back of your fridge? I always seem to have one. I can only buy large jars around here, and they keep well for a long time, so there is always some sesame paste in the house.
Try more vegan pasta: Cauliflower Macaroni and Cheese or Hummus Pasta.
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What is tahini?
Sesame paste is a Middle Eastern spread made from ground sesame seeds. It is similar to peanut butter but with an earthier flavor. Depending on whether the seeds are toasted and hulled or raw, they can be mild or bitter. Sesame paste is versatile, used in dishes like hummus and baba ghanoush, and great in sauces, dressings, and even porridge or smoothies. It's a household favorite.
I use it to make Butter Bean Hummus or Hummus without Garlic.
Recipe ingredients
- Tahini: I recommend buying it in ethnic shops; it probably costs half of what you would pay in a regular supermarket and even less compared with what you would pay in a posh health shop.
- Pasta: I often stir the sauce with whole wheat pasta; its taste and texture are a great match. However, regular white pasta is perfectly fine as well. I prefer short ones, but spaghetti or anything else is okay.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Additions
- Vegetables like sauteed mushrooms, peas, fresh spinach, sauteed zucchini, roasted vegetables like broccoli, peppers, or asparagus.
- More herbs, basically anything you like.
- Protein: Sauteed, baked, or fried tofu cubes, cooked chicken, or shrimp.
How to make tahini pasta?
- Step #1: Boil the noodles, drain them but reserve about ½ cup of the cooking water.
- Step #2: Make tahini sauce and add a little of the reserved cooking water to thin it. Adjust the taste.
Step #3: Combine pasta and tahini sauce. You can now add any other vegetables you’ve decided to use.
How to serve and store?
Serve the pasta with tahini sauce immediately, or chill it to serve as a pasta salad. If the sauce thickens when cold, add a bit of milk, nut milk, or oil to thin it out. I usually pair the pasta with tahini sauce with a fresh salad dressed in vinaigrette or yogurt dressing.
Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. The pasta with tahini sauce would, theoretically, make a wonderful lunchbox dish; however, think about the garlic. If you are working in a room with other people, they might not appreciate the garlic note in the air. 😊 Better take it to a picnic.
What to serve with it?
Menu
- Starter: Sweet Potato, Coconut and Chili Soup
- Side dish: Apple and Cucumber Salad with Vinaigrette
- Dessert: Thermomix Banana Bread
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📖 Recipe
Creamy Tahini Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb whole wheat pasta or regular pasta
- ½ cup tahini
- 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 4 garlic cloves
- a pinch of chili to taste
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt more or less to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper more or less to taste
- 5 sprigs parsley
Instructions
- Cook pasta: Start cooking the water for the pasta. Speed up the process by using hot water from the tap or boiling from the kettle. When it boils, add salt generously. Cook pasta according to the packet’s instructions, it should be al dente, not mushy. Drain and reserve about ½ cup cooking water (you will not need it all, use as required). 1 lb whole wheat pasta/ 450 g
- Prepare sauce ingredients: Squeeze the lemon, grate the garlic, and chop the parsley.4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice + 4 garlic cloves + 5 sprigs parsley
- Make tahini sauce: When the pasta is almost ready whisk the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, chili, some salt, and pepper. The sauce will seize at first. Slowly add some of the reserved cooking water, about 5-6 tablespoons or enough to thin the sauce a little.½ cup tahini/ 125 g + a pinch of chili + ½ teaspoon fine sea salt + ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Adjust the taste with more lemon juice, salt, and pepper if necessary. Add chopped parsley.
- Combine the pasta with the sauce, taste, and adjust again if necessary.
Notes
Additions:
- Peas (about 1 cup): add them to the pasta pot during the last 3-4 minutes of the cooking time.
- Mushrooms (about 9 oz/ 250 g) or zucchini (1 medium): slice and fry them in a pan with a little olive oil while the pasta cooks.
- Spinach: add a couple of handfuls of baby spinach to the very hot, just drained pasta. The heat will help it wilt.
- Roasted veggies of any kind: start preparing them before cooking the pasta, as they will need some time in the oven.
CharlotteG says
So simple yet so delicious, I'll make it again soon, thanks for sharing!