Creamy Tahini Pasta with Garlic and Broccoli

This Creamy Tahini Pasta is great for tahini lovers, the Tahini Pasta with Broccoli is packed with flavors! It’s a great weeknight meal you can make it in a matter of minutes. Add onion flakes and garnish with fresh herbs to add extra flavor and crunch to it!

This Tahini pasta is one of my favorite vegan pasta recipes, 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 does tahini pasta taste like?

The first thing I notice when I take a bite of the tahini pasta is the creamy texture. The tahini gives it a nutty flavor that’s slightly bitter. As I chew, I can taste hints of garlic and lemon, which add a nice balance to the rich tahini. The pasta itself is cooked perfectly, not too firm, and not too soft. It’s a rich, savory and satisfying dish, with a Mediterranean twist that makes it unique.

What is tahini sauce made of?

Essentially, tahini or tahini sauce 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.

Ingredients List

This tahini pasta recipe requires simple ingredients to make;

• 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 key ingredient. Tahini is a creamy sauce made from grounded sesame seeds – it’s the same process for making nut butters. Most grocery stores carry it so it’s not that hard to find.

• Broccoli Florets – provide added nutrition to this dish.

• Cloves of 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 are important in lifting the taste. Tahini by itself doesn’t have a big flavor profile, so adding these is important. A good alternative to this is apple cider vinegar.

• Olive Oil – this is necessary for sauteing garlic and broccoli.

• Salt and Black Pepper – to taste.

• Red Chilli Flakes – adds some heat to the dish so add with caution!

• Fresh Parsley – optional garnish.

• Onion Flakes – optional garnish.

Step-by-step instructions for this creamy vegan tahini pasta

1. Cook pasta by placing it in a large pot of water, salt it, and cook according to the package instructions, preferably al dente.
2. Make the tahini paste sauce by combining the tahini, lemon juice, and lemon zest with 3 tablespoons of water into a rich texture. Place ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well and set aside.
3. In a large skillet, over medium heat, add olive oil and saute the minced 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 creamy paste.
5. Add 1/4 cup of the 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.

Is it okay to heat tahini pasta?

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.

Is tahini healthy or not?

Tahini can be a healthy food choice, but it also contains a high amount of calories and fat. It is made from ground sesame seeds, which are a good source of nutrients such as healthy fats, protein, and minerals like calcium, iron, and zinc.

However, tahini is also relatively high in calories, with around 190 calories and 16 grams of fat in two tablespoons (30 grams) of tahini. It’s also relatively high in saturated fat.

So, It can be part of a healthy diet, but it should be consumed in moderation. It’s also important to consider the rest of the ingredients in a dish when determining its overall nutritional value. For example, a tahini pasta dish made with whole-grain pasta and a variety of vegetables would be a healthier option than one made with white pasta and a minimal amount of vegetables.

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 it 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