Here’s what you’ll need to make it
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- Tahini – Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds. It’s usually found in the international section of your grocery store, but you might also find it in the condiment aisle or the organic section.
- Soy sauce – We always use low or reduced sodium, but you can use whatever you have on hand.
- Agave nectar – If you prefer or have it on hand, you can substitute honey or brown sugar. It isn’t much but this little amount of sweetness balances the saltiness of the soy sauce.
- Nutritional yeast – This is an ingredient commonly used in vegan cooking and you can find this in the organic section in your local grocery store. If you don’t want to use it, you can also substitute 2 tablespoons of your favorite nutty parmesan cheese.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
How to make tahini pasta
Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add pasta. Cook it to al dente (follow the instructions on package). Don’t forget to reserve about ½ cup of pasta water to add to the sauce, before draining your pasta,
Whisk the sauce. Combine remaining ingredients into a mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth.
Combine pasta with sauce and garnish. Mix the sauce with the cooked pasta and stir to coat pasta in sauce. If you need it, add a couple tablespoons of pasta water at a time until you reach the consistency you want.
Before serving, top with lots of fresh herbs like basil, cilantro and/or mint.
Everything you need to know about this recipe
Does tahini go bad?
Store bought tahini will last longer than a homemade tahini. You should get a good 6-8 months in the refrigerator out of an open container of store bought. A homemade tahini will only last about 5-7 days in the fridge.
Is tahini gluten free?
Yes tahini itself is gluten free, but this recipe is not because it contains soy sauce and pasta. If you want to swap out those ingredients to make this gluten free, that’s totally up to you.
Does tahini taste bitter?
Tahini has a wonderful nutty, and subtle earthy flavor with a slight bitterness. It’s usually balanced in recipes with other ingredients, but straight from the container, it will probably be a bit too bitter to enjoy.
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Tahini Pasta
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup tahini
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves (minced)
- 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon agave nectar (or honey)
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- For garnish: cilantro (basil, mint (optional, use a mix of the three))
Instructions
- In a large stockpot with salted water, cook pasta according to package directions for al dente. Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of pasta water for the sauce.
- While the pasta cooks, combine remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth. Set aside.
- Return pasta to pot and toss with sauce. Stir until evenly coated.
- Before serving, garnish with fresh herbs.
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