This luxuriously smooth and comforting tahini pasta sauce can be completed from start to finish while the pasta cooks, making it a simple yet delicious meal that is perfect for busy weeknights.
Pasta night should be anything but boring! If you're anything like me, the dish is all about the sauce. Tomato-based sauces are quick and easy, cashew-based sauces are super creamy, and pesto sauces are bursting with freshness.
But what if we could combine all those attributes into one amazing, nutrient-packed sauce that also happens to be completely nut-free and takes just minutes to prepare? This tahini sauce is the answer!
Garlic and tahini come together with a touch of maple syrup and salt to create a deliciously smooth and flavorful sauce. It gets sopped up in the pasta and broccoli florets to ensure that you can enjoy its nutty flavor in every bite.
And if you love the sauce in this dish, know that it also works perfectly to create a cold tahini pasta salad!
Ingredients
Make sure the tahini is stirred well to ensure it is runny. Avoid using any tahini that has dried up at the bottom of the jar. My favorite brand of tahini is Soom Foods (not sponsored).
How to Make Tahini Pasta
1. Sauté the shallot, garlic and red pepper.
2. Begin cooking the pasta.
3. Steam the broccoli al dente.
4. Prepare the tahini sauce while the pasta cooks.
5. Put it all together, garnish with fresh basil and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
Save some of the pasta water. Reserving pasta water is always good practice, especially in this recipe. The pasta will naturally dry up a bit as it sits, but refreshing it with a little reserved pasta water when reheating brings the creamy sauce back to life!
This tahini pasta sauce is versatile to use with any pasta or veggies. I've enjoyed it over chickpea pasta, quinoa pasta and brown rice pasta as well as with other fresh vegetables such as zucchini, cauliflower, bell peppers and Brussels sprouts.
I hope you enjoy this dish!
15-Minute Creamy Tahini Pasta (Vegan)
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This luxuriously smooth and comforting tahini pasta sauce can be completed from start to finish while the pasta cooks, making it a simple yet delicious meal that is perfect for busy weeknights. Vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free and refined sugar-free.
Ingredients
Pasta and Veggies:
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large shallot, diced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper chili flakes
- 3 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 small red bell pepper, diced
- 1 head broccoli florets (not the stalks)
- 8 ounces pasta of choice
Tahini Sauce:
- ¼ cup tahini
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 clove garlic, pressed
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Sauté the shallot, garlic and red pepper. Heat olive oil over low to medium heat in a skillet and add the diced shallot, salt and red pepper chili flakes. Sauté for 5 minutes, then turn the heat to low and add the garlic and diced bell pepper. Sauté another couple minutes until soft and fragrant.
- Begin cooking the pasta. Use a large pot of water.
- Steam the broccoli al dente. Add broccoli florets to a steamer basket and place in a pot of boiling water. Cover and bring heat down to a simmer for 5-7 minutes. Alternatively, instead of steaming you can add the broccoli florets to the pot of pasta during the last 3 minutes of cooking.
- Prepare the tahini sauce. While the pasta cooks, whisk together the tahini, water, garlic, maple syrup, salt and red pepper chili flakes until smooth. Add more water until the dressing is a pourable consistency. Set aside.
- Put it all together. Add the pasta and broccoli to the skillet with the shallots and bell pepper. Pour the tahini sauce over the hot pasta and toss well. Serve garnished with fresh basil ribbons and crushed red pepper chili flakes.
Notes
Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Store some of the pasta water separately in the refrigerator to add to the pot when reheating. This will refresh the dish as the pasta will dry up a bit when stored.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: pasta
- Method: Stovetop
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