Creamy Tahini Pasta With Kale is the perfect weeknight meal. Rigatoni pasta is tossed with a simple tahini sauce for an ultra creamy and delicious vegan pasta recipe. And you only need 8 ingredients and 20 minutes to make it!
Pasta recipes like this one are the best to have in your back pocket for a busy week night. My Vegan Sausage Pasta and Vegan Zucchini Pasta are perfect for weeknights, too but this Tahini Sauce Pasta with Kale is definitely my fastest pasta recipe.
Its ultra creamy and comes together super quickly. Its the perfect dinner for days that you just don't feel like cooking.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
This creamy vegan pasta recipe is sure to break in to your weeknight rotation. Here is why:
- This recipe comes together in 20 minutes.
- The creamy tahini sauce is absolutely delicious.
- You only need 8 basic ingredients.
- Its perfect for beginners! This recipe is super easy to make.
- You can swap the kale out for whatever veggies you have on hand.
Ingredient Notes
Pasta: Use any pasta variety you prefer. I used rigatoni because its my favorite.
Kale: I like kale for this pasta because it cooks fast and tastes great!
Red Pepper Flake: This is optional, but I can't make a pasta recipe without adding a little red pepper flake for heat.
Nutritional Yeast: This is optional, but it will add a slight cheesy flavor to the pasta sauce.
Tahini: Tahini adds a nutty flavor and is the creamy element in the tahini pasta sauce.
Lemon Juice and Zest: Lemon juice will counter act the bitterness of the tahini and the zest will add a bit of lemon flavor to the pasta.
Variations and Substitutions
Don't like kale? No problem! Swap it out for spinach or shaved Brussels sprouts.
Or roast some broccoli or cauliflower and add it to the pasta after its done.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1. Cook pasta to package directions. Meanwhile, add the olive oil and garlic to a cold skillet. Then, place the skillet over medium heat and cook stirring occasionally until the garlic is fragrant.
Step 2. Add the kale, crushed red pepper flake and salt.
Step 3. And cook until the kale is wilted, about 3 minutes.
Step 4. Add the tahini, lemon zest, lemon juice and 1 cup of reserved pasta water.
Step 5. Stir until a creamy sauce has formed. Add black pepper to taste.
Step 6. Add pasta and toss to combine. Add more pasta water as needed to reach your desired consistency. Serve!
What to Serve it With
I love to make a batch of my Vegan Garlic Bread to serve with this creamy vegan pasta.
Or, if I'm feeling really ambitious, Vegan Garlic Knots are always a winner!
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Tahini is just ground sesame paste. Think if it as peanut butter, but made with sesame seeds.
To store, place the pasta into an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I do not recommend freezing this recipe.
Yes! You can easily double this recipe, just make sure to use a large wide skillet or even a Dutch oven so you can toss everything together easily without making a mess.
Expert Tips and Tricks
Be sure to zest the lemon before cutting it to juice it! Its way harder to zest a lemon that has already been sliced in half.
Use a ladle to remove some pasta water into a large measuring cup before draining the pasta.
If you want a looser sauce, simply continue adding pasta water until you reach your desired tahini sauce consistency.
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📖 Recipe
Tahini Pasta with Kale
Equipment
- 1 4 Quart Saucepan
- 1 12 inch Skillet
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Chefs Knife
- 1 Wooden Spoon
Ingredients
- 8 oz Pasta of Choice I used rigatoni
- 2 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 4 Medium Garlic Cloves, minced
- 4 Cups Lightly Packed Kale see note
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt half this amount if using table salt
- ½ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes optional
- ⅓ Cup Tahini Paste see note
- Zest of 1 Lemon
- 3 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 2 tablespoon Nutritional Yeast optional
- Black Pepper to Taste
- 16-20 tablespoon Pasta Water
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. When draining the pasta, reserve 1 ½ cups of the starchy pasta water.8 oz Pasta of Choice
- In the meantime, add olive oil and garlic to a skillet and place it over medium heat. Cook stirring frequently until the garlic is fragrant. About 1 -2 minutes.2 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 4 Medium Garlic Cloves, minced
- Turn the heat to low and add the kale, salt and red pepper flake. Cook until the kale is wilted, about 2 minutes.4 Cups Lightly Packed Kale, ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt, ½ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- Add tahini, lemon zest, lemon juice nutritional yeast, black pepper and 1 cup of the reserved pasta water to the pan. Stir until a creamy sauce has formed.⅓ Cup Tahini Paste, Zest of 1 Lemon, 3 tablespoon Lemon Juice, 2 tablespoon Nutritional Yeast, 16-20 tablespoon Pasta Water, Black Pepper to Taste
- Add the pasta to the pan and toss to coat everything. Add more of the reserved pasta water if desired to loosen the sauce.
- Remove from heat and serve.
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