This simple Tahini Pasta is ready to eat in just 15 minutes! Pasta is tossed in an easy, ultra-creamy, and delightfully nutty tahini sauce, leaving you with the best weekday dinner or lunch.
Looking for more easy pasta recipes? Check out my One Pot Pasta, 15 Minute Lemon Pasta, and Green Pasta!
I’m a huge fan of easy vegan pasta dinners. They’re low-effort and the whole family loves ‘em! The best part is that you don’t need fancy ingredients for an unforgettable pasta dinner. All it takes are the right pantry staples.
That’s exactly what this 15 Minute Tahini Pasta recipe is all about—simplicity!
It combines a 6-ingredient creamy tahini pasta sauce with your favorite cooked pasta noodles, cherry tomatoes (or any veggies you like), and fresh basil. The savory-nutty-tangy flavors are perfectly balanced and every bite is more comforting than the last!
Why you’ll love this creamy tahini pasta
- It’s crazy easy – Would you believe me if I told you that it only takes 15 minutes to make pasta with tahini sauce? It’s true!
- Super rich and creamy – Two surprising ingredients make this tahini pasta creamy and indulgent: tahini sauce and pasta cooking water! That, plus a handful of simple seasonings, makes this simple yet luxurious meal one to remember.
- Flexible – There are so many ways to make this recipe your own. Stretch it a little further by adding more vegetables; play with the flavors using extra seasonings and aromatics.
Frequently asked questions
Tahini is a seed paste made from ground sesame seeds. It’s a lot like nut butter but has a runnier texture and a slightly bitter, nutty taste. Tahini is a staple ingredient in hummus but can also add flavor and creaminess to plenty of other recipes, like homemade salad dressings, baked goods, and more.
Of course! Just replace the regular pasta with your favorite short gluten-free pasta noodles.
Put your own spin on this dish with the seasonings and add-ins of your choice! Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Vegetables – Steamed or roasted asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, or artichokes would add bulk to this dish.
Vegan cheese – Stir in a little vegan parmesan cheese, 2 to 3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast, or a generous dollop of vegan mascarpone to give the pasta a cheesy twist.
Protein – Toss the pasta with a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas, butter beans, or cannellini beans, or top it with your favorite vegan chicken or baked tofu to make it more filling.
After it cools to room temperature, transfer the leftover pasta to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Reheat the leftovers in the microwave or a saucepan over medium heat until warmed through. Add a splash of water, broth, or non-dairy milk to make the consistency saucy again, if needed.
15 Minute Tahini Pasta
Ingredients
- 12 ounces short pasta noodles penne or fusilli
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 large cloves garlic minced
- 3/4 cup tahini drippy, not super thick
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice about 1 large lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 1-2 cups reserved pasta water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or more to taste
- 1/2 cup fresh basil chopped
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved, optional
Instructions
- Boil the pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 2 cups of the pasta cooking water, then drain the cooked pasta and set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, warm the olive oil over low-medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant, stirring constantly.
- Pour in the tahini, lemon juice, red chili flakes, reserved pasta water and salt. Stir well.
- Now add the cooked pasta and mix. Add the fresh basil and halved tomatoes and mix into the creamy pasta.
- If the pasta gets too dry, add a bit more warm water. Serve immediately.
Notes
- If your tahini happens to be thick and not drippy, I recommend adding additional pasta water until it’s creamy and smooth.
- For gluten free, substitute a gluten free pasta of choice.
Wow, Nora, you really are gifted with putting together delicious and nutritious meals! Our family has benefited greatly from your recipes! Thank you! Looking forward to trying this recipe and wondering your thoughts on adding some cooked split peas to this pasta dish?
Why thank you so much! I’m sure you could, if they were cooked first.
This was so good I am making it again for dinner right now! Thank you, Nora.
Hi Nora,
This was delicious! Every bit of it got eaten up in 2 days. Very easy, too.
So delicious! Followed the recipe as written and it’s another winner!
Hi Carolyn. Thanks for your wonderful review! I’m so glad you loved the pasta! Wishing you happy cooking!
This dish is absolutely delicious.
Your weekly meal plan has altered my life. As a wildly busy working mom of two under 3, it has made meal planning feel possible again. I honestly can’t thank you enough.
Oh wow Nicole, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for letting me know it’s useful. 🙂
Hi this turned out pretty good! I think my tahini was a bit thick and I kept adding more water but it still tastes a little bitter. Any suggestions? Should I add anything else to it? Thank you
You could add a bit more lemon juice perhaps, or other seasonings like salt and pepper. But ultimately, you might want to try a different brand of tahini if it’s super bitter.
This was really good. I didn’t have cherry tomatoes so I threw in some green peas. I was surprised I liked it haha, I don’t like most recipes that i try……except yours 🙂 I’ve tried this one, and your croissants and your brownies, and a couple more…and they have all been very good. I can’t wait to try your recipe for peanut tofu, and pumpkin latte cake from this week’s email…they look so good. Thanks for the good food:)
Awesome, great flavour combination! I’ve just recently started following Nora’s site and so far every recipe I’ve tried has been very good. I’m so thankful I found you. Let me know if you have a cookbook. I would definitely buy it.
This was awesome and indeed very quick. I only added 1 cup of reserved pasta water and it made the sauce quite watery. But I waited 20 mins, stirring a couple of times, and the sauce thickened perfectly.
Thanks for your wonderful review and feedback! I’m glad you loved the pasta recipe!
Enjoyed this recipe quite a bit. Only knock on it is that I found that the sauce was a bit more tahini than I wanted. One tip: I added just a bit of hot sauce, and that really brought out the lemon and added some saltiness that really elevated the dish!