Creamy Tahini Pasta with Lemon and Garlic
This Creamy Tahini Pasta with Lemon and Garlic will totally shake up your traditional pasta night! The nutty, garlicky tahini sauce is absolutely addicting and the lemon adds a perfect, bright freshness! Best of all, this is on the table in less than 30 minutes!
If you are bored with your regular pasta night, ya’ll need to make this tahini pasta recipe!!!! It’s such a nice change from traditional red or alfredo sauce. If you never tried tahini, you may just be addicted! It’s nutty flavor is so rich and delicious–then paired with lots of lemon and garlic…heaven!!
This garlic and lemon tahini pasta is also vegan and dairy free, unlike most creamy pasta dishes that are loaded with butter and cream. Instead, the pasta is smothered in a creamy sauce made with tahini and flavored with garlic and lots of lemon–it’s to die for!
If you like pasta on the lighter side, you also have to try my Easy, Creamy Pasta with Green Sauce. And if you are a white sauce fan like me, my Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta never disappoints!
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- Minimal, simple ingredients but HUGE flavor!
- Easy, breezy weeknight meal.
- Veggie, vegan and gluten free (option)–super healthy!
- Protein and extra veggies can be easily added!
RECIPE INGREDIENTS
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this delicious, creamy Pasta with Tahini Sauce:
INGREDIENT NOTES
Tahini Paste: This can be purchased a most major chain grocery stores these days! It’s usually hidden either in the nut butter section (with peanut butter, almond butter, etc.) or in the international aisle. It comes in a glass jar. Trader Joes always carries it, too and of course you can buy it on Amazon!
HOW TO MAKE THIS CREAMY TAHINI PASTA RECIPE WITH LEMON AND GARLIC: STEP BY STEP
Here are some quick visual instructions. Remember that full instructions with exact ingredients will be in the recipe card below!
STEP 1: Cook pasta to al dente, then make the tahini pasta sauce. Whisk together tahini paste, lemon juice, lemon zest and salt. Add water until sauce resembles thin pancake batter.
STEP 2: To a pan over medium heat, add olive oil and minced garlic. Cook about 30 seconds until garlic is fragrant.
STEP 3: Add tahini sauce and stir to heat through.
STEP 4: Toss cooked pasta with the sauce. Toss with tongs until pasta is well-coated with the sauce. Top with parsley, freshly ground pepper and more lemon juice/zest, if you like!
RECIPE TIPS & TRICKS
- When making the tahini sauce continue adding water until the sauce resembles a thin pancake batter (see picture above). It should be around 1/2 to 1 cup of water depending on the brand of tahini you are using.
- Make sure to reserve at least a cup of the pasta cooking water before you drain the pasta. This water will help create a nice texture for the sauce when you toss in the pasta.
STORAGE & REHEATING
Storage: Store pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheating: Honestly, this pasta is best eaten on the first day. However, if you have leftovers, they can be reheated in a pan with a little water or chicken stock to add back in the bit of creaminess. You can also save a bit of the tahini sauce and toss it into your reheated pasta.
Freezing: I do not recommend freezing this tahini pasta dish.
ADDITIONS AND SUBSTITUTIONS
This pasta is perfect in it’s own, but there are SO MANY amazing variations to spice it up! Here are my favorites:
- Toss in jarred roasted red peppers.
- Add roasted or sautéed veggies! While the pasta is cooking, roast up some veggies to throw in! My favorites are broccoli, cherry tomatoes, red pepper, onions and zucchini. Green peas are also delish stirred in!
- Although this recipe as written is vegan, feel free to add in some protein! Chicken is obviously the perfect match and shrimp would be amazing too.
- Forget the pasta and just drink the sauce! (kidding, not kidding). The sauce makes an excellent dip for veggies, falafel or crackers! It’s also great drizzled over a salad or rice bowl of any kind!
- Add a little spice by adding a sprinkle of red pepper flakes!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Tahini is simply toasted, ground sesame seeds! The seeds are ground to thick paste and is the basic ingredient in hummus and has a nutty flavor. Tahini is full of healthy fats and antioxidants, making it a great alternative to butter or cream if you want a rich, creamy pasta dish.
Most “regular” grocery stores carry tahini these days, although you might have to ask where to find it! At my store, it was near the nut butters, but it can also be hidden in the “ethnic” section. Trader Joe’s tahini is near the olives and canned food section. And of course, there is always Amazon! You can try this Organic Sesame Tahini here!
I love serving this with grilled, baked chicken or air fryer chicken breasts, a simple salad and lots of garlic bread!
You can easily just swap out the fettuccine with a gluten-free pasta such as: chickpea pasta, lentil pasta or brown rice pasta.
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OTHER PASTA DISHES YOU’LL LOVE
I hope you love this Creamy Tahini Pasta! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Creamy Tahini Pasta with Lemon and Garlic
Ingredients
For the Tahini Sauce
- 1 cup tahini paste or about 1 10 oz. jar
- 1/2 cup lemon juice juice from 2-3 lemons
- 1 tsp lemon zest (or zest of one lemon)
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 to 1 cup water See Note 1
For the Pasta
- 1 lb. fettuccine or your favorite pasta
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, miced about 1 tablespoon (the best garlic chopper)
- 1 cup reserved pasta cooking water or less
- lemon juice, parsley, lemon zest and black pepper to garnish optional
Instructions
- Boil pasta according to package instructions–al dente is best because you will be reheating the pasta and tossing it in with the tahini sauce. **Reserve about a cup of the pasta water before draining the pasta**
- While the pasta cooks, in a medium bowl, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, lemon zest and salt. Add in water slowly and whisk until a medium-thick sauce is formed. See picture in step by step instructions above–it should be about like a thin pancake batter so it's easy to toss with the pasta. Set sauce aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Then add garlic and stir for 30 seconds until garlic is fragrant. Add tahini sauce and stir until the sauce is heated through.
- Toss pasta with tahini sauce. Add in a little pasta water as you toss so the sauce stays nice and creamy. Serve pasta immediately and garnish with extra lemon juice, lemon zest, parsley and fresh black pepper.
Great tasty meal – a new use of Tahin for me – so good, thanks!
Absolutely love this creamy lemony pasta! The flavors are fantastic and it’s easy enough for weeknights, which is perfect.
Oh wow! Such a fantastic use for tahini. The flavors sound absolutely amazing paired with the pasta.
What really made this recipe for me was the lemon. It really pop’d it a perfect way. Thank you so much!
Lemon and tahini go so well together! I’m dying to try this recipe. Can’t wait to go grocery shopping!
I’d been looking for some ways to use up tahini that isn’t salad dressing an came across this pasta. Had all the ingredients and it was easy to make. We LOVED it!
I made it but added corse sea salt. To much. If using corse sea salt reduce to 1 tsp instead or 2. Added scallions white and green (raw) to cut the saltiness it was good gave it a crunch factor.
Love your additions, Susan!!! XO ~ Casey
I love pasta, and this recipe sounds easy to make and looks delicious.
I have recently had to do a dairy free diet and was so sad to let some of my favorite dishes go! This recipe almost made me cry for joy that I can still enjoy something creamy and garlicky – thank you for making my day/life!
The lemon garlic tahini combo here is absolutely divine! Thanks for the recipe!
I never would have thought to include tahini in pasta but this tastes so amazing! And it’s super simple to make. Thanks for the great recipe!
This sounds truly delicious, I love tahini and I love pasta, but never thought to combine them!