Simple Tahini Pasta

A creamy delight for tahini lovers, the Tahini Pasta with Broccoli is packed with flavors! And you can make it in a matter of minutes. Adding onion flakes to the dish will add extra flavor and crunch to it!

This vegan Tahini pasta is an excellent dish for anyone wanting a creamy pasta dish without dairy. It is quick to prepare and you are able to eat it right away. There is very little slicing and chopping involved and I think it’s great when a recipe requires very little preparation and can be delicious at the same time!

What Is Tahini Sauce Made Of?

Essentially, tahini or tahini is ground sesame seed oil made by toasting and grinding hulled sesame seeds. It is used as a standalone food as well as in hummus, baba ghanoush, and halva. Now I’m just getting creative by adding it to pasta! This nut butter can be pale in color and creamy in consistency. That color is influenced by whether the sesame seeds have been toasted or not.

Is it okay to heat Tahini?

Tahini contains polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) that are sensitive to high heat, so it is not advised to use it or sesame oil to cook things over a long period of time or at very high temperatures. Adding the tahini sauce to this recipe is one of the last few steps that need to be done, so it does not need to be cooked for a long period of time.

Ingredients List

• Cappelletti Pasta – dried cappelletti pasta is a hat-shaped pasta with a ‘brim’ which is my it works great in this recipe. There are lots of corners and crevices for the tahini sauce to go in. However, there are other kinds of pasta that will work. Penne, orecchiette, and elbow macaroni are just as good.
• Tahini Sauce – the tahini forms the creamy sauce base for this pasta dish.
• Broccoli Florets – provides added nutrition to this dish.
• Garlic or Garlic Powder – adding garlic to this dish gives it a depth of flavor it will be lacking if skipped. So make sure you add!
• Lemon Juice and Lemon Zest – adding lemon to tahini pasta sauce is important in lifting the taste. Tahini by itself doesn’t have a big flavor profile, so adding these is important.
• Olive Oil – this is necessary for sauteing garlic and broccoli.
• Salt and Black Pepper – to taste.
• Red Pepper Flakes – adds some heat to the dish so add with caution!
• Fresh Parsley – optional garnish.
• Onion Flakes – optional garnish.

How To Cook This Tahini Pasta

1. Cook pasta by placing it in a medium-sized pot and boiling it according to the package directions.
2. Make the tahini pasta sauce by combining the tahini, lemon juice, and lemon zest with 3 tablespoons of water. Place ingredients in a bowl and mix well and set aside.
3. In a skillet over low heat, add olive oil and saute the garlic and broccoli florets together until just tender. As you fry, stir frequently, for approximately three minutes or until broccoli becomes tender. So that the garlic does not burn, keep it on low heat.
4. Add black pepper and red pepper flakes then add in the tahini pasta sauce.
5. Add 1/4 cup of pasta water to the pasta along with the cooked pasta. Then mix everything together. Taste for salt and add if needed.
6. Parsley and onion flakes (optional) may be sprinkled on top.

How To Store and Reheat The Tahini Pasta

Store this Garlic Broccoli Tahini Pasta dish in a container after it has completely cooled down and placed in the fridge. This dish will keep for 2 days and to reheat, do so in a pot over the stove on low heat. Splash some water into it and let it slowly simmer.

Other Simple Pasta Dishes To Try

Rigatoni Alla Norma

Spinach Cherry Tomato Pasta