I absolutely love tahini and use it in so many different ways – in smoothies, sauces and dressings, desserts, and now this tahini pasta! Combined with the lemon, it makes the perfect sauce! This dish is light yet hearty and perfect as we head into warmer weather.
This tahini pasta recipe does have a few moving parts, but it is super easy to throw together and makes an easy weeknight dinner ready in about 25 minutes. To save some time, prep your veggies and sauce after you turn on the water to boil.
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The leftovers save great as well and can be made for meal prep!
Why we love this creamy tahini pasta
- ready in 25 minutes from start to finish!
- macro-balanced – it has a good balance of protein, carbs, healthy fats, and fiber for a balanced meal
- loaded with lots of veggies, which means all the micronutrients – it’s loaded with over 100% of your daily needs of vitamin C, vitamins B3 and B6, vitamin K, manganese, and selenium. It also has 50% of your needs of phosphorus, copper, zinc, and vitamins B1, B2, and B5. Talk about a nutrient powerhouse!
- customizable – change up the vegetables, protein, or pasta as you can easily use what you have on hand.
What is tahini made of?
Tahini is ground sesame seeds blended into a liquid consistency. Think of peanut butter, but sesame seeds instead. The taste is nutty and earthy while being rich and creamy. It’s a staple in Middle Eastern cuisine and is what makes hummus so creamy.
It also makes a great substitute for people that can’t have nuts.
The key is to find the right tahini though. When I first tried it by itself, I wasn’t a huge fan as it was bitter and not very creamy. It wasn’t until I discovered Soom that my mind completely changed. The flavor is incomparable and it’s the smoothest and creamiest tahini I’ve ever had. I highly recommend this brand!
Ingredients
- pasta – I used cavatappi
- olive oil
- chicken breasts
- garlic
- snap peas
- red peppers
- spinach
- tahini
- lemon juice and lemon zest
- paprika
- salt and pepper
How to make tahini pasta with chicken & veggies
- Cook pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to the instructions. Once al dente, drain and set aside to cool. When draining, reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.
- Make the tahini sauce. Stir together the tahini, lemon zest, lemon juice, paprika, and salt and pepper until combined. The consistency will be thick, but you will add pasta water to thin it out later.
- Cook the chicken. When the water is starting to heat up, you’ll start cooking everything else. It takes about 12-15 minutes to cook everything else, so start cooking according to how long it takes your pasta to cook. Add oil to a large skillet over medium to medium-low heat and let it get hot. Add chicken and salt and pepper and saute for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Cook the veggies. In the same pan with the remaining chicken juices, add snap peas, peppers, minced garlic, and salt and pepper, and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add chopped spinach and saute for another 1-2 minutes. Turn down the heat to low.
- Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
- Finish the tahini sauce. Whisk in 1/4 cup of the pasta water and mix to combine. It should be smooth.
- Assemble. Add cooked pasta, cooked chicken and juices, and tahini sauce to the pan and toss to combine. Let warm through, about 1 minute. If desired, you can add more pasta water.
- Enjoy! Top with fresh herbs and lemon zest and enjoy!
Make it vegan
This recipe can easily be made vegan by taking out the chicken. You can increase the protein by adding in beans, chickpeas, tofu, or using a protein-based pasta (lentil pasta, chickpea pasta…).
Lemon tahini pasta sauce
This pasta recipe comes together with a super easy tahini sauce made with only 5 ingredients. It’s full of flavor while being light and refreshing.
- tahini
- lemon juice and lemon zest
- paprika
- salt and black pepper
- pasta water
Simply mix together the ingredients. The sauce will be thick, but once you add your pasta water it will thin out some. Using the water the pasta is cooked in will help thicken the sauce and stick to the pasta when you add it to your pan. If you want an even thicker or thinner sauce, adjust the amount of water used.
Storage and reheating
- refrigerator – store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
- freezer – I haven’t tried freezing this recipe, but think it would work. It should last up to 3 months in the freezer.
- reheating – to heat it up, pop it in the microwave for a couple of minutes until warmed through. You can also reheat it on the stovetop.
Substitutions
- pasta – any kind of pasta will work (penne, spaghetti, angel hair, rigatoni…). I like cavatappi as it has a good surface area to soak up the pasta sauce. If needed, opt for gluten-free pasta to make this meal gluten-free.
- olive oil – any kind of neutral oil will work.
- chicken breasts – you can use thighs instead of breasts. This will add a little more fat to the recipe. Ground turkey or even shrimp will also work.
- garlic – use you can garlic powder instead of fresh garlic. Use 1 teaspoon.
- veggies – use any veggies you like! The more the merrier. Onion, broccoli, zucchini, and mushrooms would be good substitutes or additions.
- tahini – nut butter will work instead of tahini, it will just change the flavor some. Cashew butter would be my best recommendation.
More healthy pasta recipes
- creamy goat cheese pasta
- sun-dried tomato pasta
- creamy vegan pasta with veggies
- lemon asparagus feta pasta
- taco pasta
If you love quick and easy meals and want to learn how to build a balanced plate, check out our FREE How to Build a Balanced Plate Guide!
Tahini Pasta
equipment
ingredients
Pasta
- 8 ounces pasta (I used cavatappi)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound chicken breasts (thinly sliced)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups snap peas (350 grams)
- 2 cups julienned red peppers (220 grams)
- 4 packed cups spinach, roughly chopped (120 grams)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- for topping – parsley, basil, red pepper flakes…
instructions
- Cook pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to the instructions. Once al dente, drain and set aside to cool. When draining, reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.
- Make the tahini sauce. Stir together the tahini, lemon zest, lemon juice, paprika, and salt and pepper until combined. The consistency will be thick, but you will add pasta water to thin it out later.
- Cook the chicken. When the water is starting to heat up, you’ll start cooking everything else. It takes about 12-15 minutes to cook everything else, so start cooking according to how long it takes your pasta to cook. Add oil to a large skillet over medium to medium-low heat and let it get hot. Add chicken and salt and pepper and saute for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Cook the veggies. In the same pan with the remaining chicken juices, add snap peas, peppers, minced garlic, and salt and pepper, and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add chopped spinach and saute for another 1-2 minutes. Turn down the heat to low.
- Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
- Finish the tahini sauce. Whisk in 1/4 cup of the pasta water and mix to combine. It should be smooth.
- Assemble. Add cooked pasta, cooked chicken and juices, and tahini sauce to the pan and toss to combine. Let warm through, about 1 minute. If desired, you can add more pasta water.
- Enjoy! Top with fresh herbs and lemon zest and enjoy!
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Tasty and easy to make
Thanks, Amanda!