This incredibly rich and creamy tahini pasta recipe is SO easy to make and only requires 5 simple basic ingredients. The oil-free and dairy-free sauce is done within minutes without requiring any cooking. Perfect for busy weeknights when you crave comfort food for dinner and you can pair with your favorite veggies! 100% vegan!
If you love creamy pasta recipes as much as I do, then this garlic lemon tahini pasta sauce will definitely hit the spot. It is our new obsession, we just cannot get enough of this sauce!
And I would never have thought of using tahini for pasta dishes, but now that I did, all I want is to dig in a large bowl of garlicky saucy tahini pasta.
The combination of tahini, lemon and garlic makes this sauce super rich with such a great balance in the flavors. It is nutty and zesty with just enough garlic to temper the slight bitterness coming from the sesame paste.
Plus, the natural amazing creaminess of tahini makes it a great base to make a silky sauce without having to add any extra oil. Tahini also makes it easy to prepare a vegan creamy sauce without any fuss!
And what's even better about this pasta sauce recipe is that it is done sooooo quickly. And super convenient too as tahini is shelf stable. No cooking and no large pile of dishes to clean. You can simply make yourself a satisfying pasta dish using pantry ingredients under 15 minutes, just enough time to cook the noodles (psst... check out this creamy tomato pasta for another extra fast pasta pantry recipe!).
We love to pair the basic sauce with more veggies or whatever is available in the fridge. Our kids LOVE this sauce too, especially with green peas.
I hope you love it too! ❤️
Why you'll LOVE this recipe
- Ridiculously easy to make with minimal hands-on prep and quick too.
- Such a wholesome and nutrient dense recipe, especially rich in healthy fats
- SO creamy and rich, even though 100% free of dairy or cream
- Can be enjoyed hot or cold or room temperature
- Amazing for meal-prep and for lunches to-go
- Nut-free alternative for lunch boxes
- Plus, highly customizable!
What's tahini
Tahini simply is sesame paste made by grinding sesame seeds into a butter consistency. I love how sesame butter has a thin and saucy consistency, often even pour-able. You can use it for either sweet or savory recipes, such as tahini caramel or spicy tahini buddha bowl sauce.
You can very easily make your own tahini using a food processor or blender, but I typically buy it at the grocery store. I love this tahini from the brand 365, but any brand will work. I would say though that a pour-able tahini paste will work better to make sauces.
Is this tahini pasta healthy?
Sesame butter offers all of the same health benefits you will get from whole sesame seeds. Although, make sure to use a tahini that's only containing sesame seeds, maybe with a little salt as they often do. But avoid any added oil!
What makes sesame seeds so healthy? Well, they might be tiny, but they are a powerhouse rich in fiber, healthy fats, protein, magnesium and many other vitamins and minerals. And they are so easy to sprinkle around and include in any diet!
You can find more nutritional information about sesame seeds here: Health and Nutrition Benefits of Sesame Seeds
Ingredients
- Tahini paste: I used the tahini paste from the brand 365. I also love the tahini paste from the brand Once Again.
- Lemon: fresh lemon juice is so much better than store-bought for this recipe.
- Nutritional yeast: adds a subtle cheesy and deeper flavor to the sauce.
- Garlic: I used one clove of garlic, but use as many as you want depending on how garlicky you want the sauce to be.
- Plant-based milk: use your favorite, although be sure it is free of added flavoring and sweetener.
How to make tahini pasta
This is one of the easiest pasta sauce to make on the blog!
Get ready
Start by cooking the pasta of your choice.
Also, if you wanted to pair this recipe with veggies, then prep them while the pasta is cooking as well. I like to pair with frozen green peas, so I'll usually soak the frozen peas in hot water while I prep the rest.
Blend
In a blender or food processor, add the tahini paste, plant-based milk, garlic, lemon juice, garlic, nutritional yeast and salt.
Blend until super smooth and creamy. You might need to take a break or two to scrape the walls and bottom.
Combine
Combine the cooked noodles with the pasta and veggies of your choice. Enjoy!
Watch how to make it
Tips when making this tahini pasta recipe
- Different brands of tahini can vary in consistency. Some can be more grainy and others more pour-able, with or without a separation between the oils and the solids. This article compares different brands of store-bought tahini, which can help you choose one.
In any case, you will have to make sure to stir the tahini butter in its container very well before using and depending on the brand, you might end up with a thinner or thicker paste. If you have a thicker tahini butter, then you might have to add a little more vegan milk to the blender to reach the desired texture. - I love making this sauce using a blender. This allows me to throw the garlic clove whole into the blender and it reaches a very smooth and almost whipped texture very fast.
I have to say though that this recipe only gives you 1 cup of sauce, which is plenty for a meal, but can be harder to blend if you have a large blender. You can also crush the garlic yourself and whisk all the ingredients in a bowl, if that's easier. Or even better, make a double batch to match your larger blender as the sauce stores very well! - Use your favorite noodles for this recipe! I love short pasta in this case, such as orecchiette (as seen in the picture) or penne, but long noodles work too. Use gluten-free pasta if needed, the tahini sauce is naturally gluten-free!
Additions to this tahini pasta dish
As you can see in the pictures, this recipe makes for a great basic creamy sauce for pasta that can be customized with so many delicious additions. I chose green peas and mushrooms and it paired so perfectly.
I simply thaw frozen green peas by soaking them in hot water and cooked sliced mushrooms in a pan while the noodles were cooking.
Other great additions would be:
- Veggies: while the pasta is cooking, you can roast vegetables in the oven to combine to this dish. Great choices would be broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, carrot or zucchini. Caramelized onions is also delicious combined with the creamy sauce.
- Greens: add any wilted greens to this dish, like spinach, kale or collard greens. Simply wilt in a pan before adding to the pasta.
- A hint of fresh: just like in this vegan couscous salad, tahini goes well with fresh herbs, so feel free to add some basil or parsley. Also, if you want a stronger zesty flavor, you can adjust the amount of lemon juice you add to the sauce or even add lemon zest (in the sauce or top your bowl at serving).
- Spicy: just like I did in this tofu buddha bowl, you can turn the sauce into a spicy tahini sauce very easily. Simply add hot sauce to the blender or drizzle with sriracha at serving. Also goes great with a generous sprinkle of red pepper flakes.
- Plant-based protein: include edamame, pan-fried tempeh, roasted smoky tofu or lentils.
Storage
Keep leftovers in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.
The pasta can dry out slightly while resting, so feel free to add a splash of plant-based milk to turn the pasta creamier.
Enjoy the leftovers cold or simply warm up for a few seconds in the microwave until heated to your liking.
I don't recommend freezing this recipe.
Other creamy pasta dishes you might like
- Cajun pasta
- Vegan bechamel
- Primavera pasta bake
- Vegan Mac and Cheese
- Vegan white sauce
- Cauliflower Alfredo
- Pasta with hummus and roasted vegetables
- Vegan avocado broccoli pasta
- Vegan green pasta sauce
- Gochujang pasta
I hope you enjoy this tahini pasta recipe as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!
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Tahini Pasta
Equipment
- Blender, optional
Ingredients
- pasta of your choice
- ½ cup tahini paste
- ½ cup plant-based milk - plain and unsweetened, or more to taste
- 1 clove of garlic
- ½ tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2-3 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Start by cooking the pasta al dente, then drain.
- If you want to add vegetable to this dish, then also start by steaming/cooking them while the pasta are cooking. I love to thaw frozen green peas in hot water until ready to use and also roast sliced mushrooms in pan until browned.
- Make the sauce: in a blender, add the tahini, plant-based milk, lemon juice, garlic, nutritional yeast and salt. Blend until smooth. Add more milk for a thinner consistency, if needed and adjust seasoning to your liking.
- To serve, combine the cooked noodle with the tahini sauce and vegetables, if desired. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Using a blender creates a very smooth and almost whipped texture that's so pleasant. But, if you have a larger blender that cannot handle smaller volume like this sauce, then you can also simply combine the ingredients in a bowl (you will have to crush the garlic in this case) and whisk very well until super smooth. Or what I do often is double the recipe and keep the leftover sauce in the fridge for another meal later in the week.
- Simple roasted mushroom (roast in a pan) with peas (frozen then thawed) pair so well with this sauce. You can also add steamed broccoli, carrot, cauliflower or caramelized onions with this meal.
- Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days (store better when the sauce is apart from the noodles). To reheat, you might have to add a splash of vegan milk to loosen up the sauce, then reheat in the microwave.
Pin it for later!
This recipe was so good and so easy to make! The sauce elevated typical pasta into a delicious dish. I will definitely make this recipe again! I just had peas when I made it last night, however today I am going to add mushrooms and kale to the leftovers.
Thanks so much for your comment! I'm glad you loved it!