This creamy tahini pasta with garlic and kale is topped with crispy savory tofu and red pepper flakes for a spicy kick. This vegan-friendly pasta takes less than 30 minutes to make and is incredibly creamy, slurpable, hearty, and healthy.
why we love this recipe
This pasta is seriously SO easy. I love how versatile tahini is and it makes the best creamy sauce in this recipe. Because the tahini is the base of the sauce, this pasta is dairy-free and vegan. It’s lemony and fresh, yet hearty just like my Lemon Herb Vegan Couscous Salad!
This pasta has an earthy nutty flavor with hints of garlic, lemon, and pepper. I love using fettuccini as the pasta in this dish because the noodles hold on to the cream sauce very well and they offer a nice chewy bite when prepared al dente. It’s so so so good with my crispy, flavorful baked tofu recipe on top!
This pasta with tahini sauce is great for an easy weeknight dinner but when you dress it up with kale and crispy tofu, it becomes special enough for a date night! If you’re looking for more vegan weeknight dinner ideas, check out this post which has 50+ easy tofu recipes!
the vegan garlicky tahini pasta ingredients
This vegan tahini pasta is full of flavorful ingredients like lemon, nutritional yeast, onions, and lots of garlic (the more the merrier in my opinion!). The tahini pasta sauce is completely dairy-free and healthy, yet it’s still insanely creamy and comforting.
To make this recipe, you’ll need to gather the following ingredients:
- Fettuccini, or another pasta
- Tahini
- Olive Oil
- Lemon
- Maple Syrup
- Onions
- Garlic
- Black Pepper & Salt
- Nutritional Yeast
- Kale
- Crispy Baked Tofu
the pasta
I’m using fettuccini in this recipe, but you could use any pasta that you love. The trick is to make sure you prepare it al dente because we’ll be finishing cooking the pasta in the sauce.
I personally prefer a longer, thick pasta for this dish because it adds a needed textural component. So you have the creaminess from the tahini sauce, the crispiness from the tofu, and a perfect soft chewiness from the thicker pasta.
where to find tahini
It’s important to use a high-quality tahini. I love the one by the brand Ziyad. I’m able to find this brand at my local grocery store in the international aisle.
If you’re not able to find tahini in stores, you can order it online fairly easily! I’ve also used Trader Joe’s in-house tahini before and it is also pretty good.
Tahini is made from sesame seeds and you could also make it yourself at home. If you’d like to make it yourself, you can try this recipe!
how to make the creamy vegan tahini pasta
- Prepare your pasta according to the box’s instructions. While straining the pasta, be sure to reserve about 2 cups of the pasta water.
- Heat large stockpot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil, chopped onions, and garlic.
- Saute the veggies until the onions are mostly translucent, then add the chopped kale. Give the kale a stir then add the salt, pepper, nutritional yeast, tahini, maple syrup, and lemon. Stir until the tahini coats all the kale.
- Pour in 1 cup of the reserved pasta to deglaze the pot and loosen the tahini.
- Lower the temperature to low, and add in the cooked pasta.
- Stir to coat. Add more pasta water as needed to reach your desired sauce consistency.
creamy garlicky tahini pasta tips, tricks & faq
This vegan pasta is fabulous served with fresh parsley, nutritional yeast, an extra squeeze of lemon, and with crispy tofu.
This recipe uses 1/2 a pound of pasta and makes about 4 good sized portions.
This pasta stores very well in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store the pasta in an air tight container. I love making this and using it as a meal prep!
If your sauce looks too thin, try heating the pasta for a few minutes. As you cook the pasta, it should absorb some of the liquid from the sauce and thicken. You could also add an another tablespoon of tahini to taste.
Want to learn more about how to cook tofu and ways to use it?
I have a complete tofu beginner’s guide I’ve put together and a free e-book for you!
want more vegan pasta recipes? Check out these!
- The Best Vegan Chicken Parm
- Vegan Chicken Parm Stuffed Shells
- Creamy Vegan Baked Mac & Cheese
- Classic Basil Pesto
- Vegan Butternut Squash Ravioli
- One Pot Lemony Zucchini Mushroom Pasta
recipe and video
Did you make this creamy garlicky tahini pasta recipe? I’d love to know! Leave a rating and comment below!
Creamy Tahini Pasta with Garlic and Tofu
This creamy garlic tahini pasta with kale is topped with crispy savory tofu and red pepper flakes for a spicy kick. This vegan-friendly pasta takes less than 30 minutes to make and is incredibly creamy, slurpable, hearty, and healthy.
Ingredients
- 9 large cloves of garlic, minced (about ⅓ cup)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups chopped kale
Sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/2 cup tahini
- 1-2 tbsp maple syrup, to taste
- Juice of ½ a lemon
- 1-2 cups reserved pasta water
Pasta
- ½ lb of fettuccine (half a standard package)
Toppings:
- Red pepper flakes, highly recommend
- Salt to taste
- 1 recipe of Thank You Berry Much’s Flavorful Crispy Tofu
Instructions
- Prepare the tofu according to this recipe's instructions.
- Prepare your pasta according to the box's instructions. While straining the pasta, be sure to reserve about 2 cups of the pasta water.
- If the pasta finishes prior to the sauce, coat the pasta with a drizzle of olive oil to keep it from sticking.
- Heat large stockpot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil, chopped onions, and garlic.
- Saute the veggies until the onions are mostly translucent, then add the chopped kale.
- Give the kale a stir, then add the salt, pepper, nutritional yeast, tahini, maple syrup, and lemon juice. Stir until the tahini coats all the kale.
- Pour in 1 cup of the reserved pasta to deglaze the pot and loosen the tahini.
- Reduce the temperature to low, and add in the cooked pasta. Stir to coat. Add more pasta water as needed to reach your desired sauce consistency.
- Top with red pepper flakes, salt to taste, and crispy tofu.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 330Fiber: 3gProtein: 8g
Nutritional info is an estimate.
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We just finished this for dinner and believe me when I say…It is absolutely delicious, easy, wanna eat the whole pot kinda pasta.LOL. Emily, I love your recipes. Keep ‘em coming 😀