Creamy Tahini Pasta Salad
This 30-minute pasta salad is inspired by my Greek pasta salad with tofu feta cheese that many of you have told me you made on repeat last summer. (Side note: thank you! Feedback like that makes my day!) Similarly, this easy pasta salad recipe uses gluten-free fusilli and lots of fresh vegetables, but instead of a vinaigrette I whipped up a quick and creamy tahini dressing that’s a perfect balance of rich, tangy, sweet, and salty. I want to put it on everything!
I’m forever trying to work a mix of colorful produce into our meals, so I went with a simple combination of artichoke hearts, red bell pepper, cucumber, red onion, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, and fresh parsley to round out the pasta. This is an excellent “clean-out-the-fridge” type of recipe, so feel free to swap in whatever you currently have on hand!
For protein, I love cannellini beans here because they add to the already creamy tahini dressing (chickpeas or navy beans would also be delicious). And speaking of that dressing—all you need to make it is tahini (duh, and FYI—the drippier your tahini, the better), fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, pure maple syrup, and a clove of minced garlic. Normally I would use water to thin my salad dressing, but this time I was going for extra creamy so I tried homemade cashew milk, with awesome results. Most any plain, unsweetened plant milk should work, so again, use what you have!
Aaron and I tend to be “one-bowl” people, so we’ve been eating our pasta salad as a main meal, but it’d of course be great as a side dish too. I’m thinking picnics, potlucks, BBQs, beach days…summer really is the best, isn’t it?
Creamy Tahini Pasta Salad
Creamy Tahini Pasta Salad
Serves: 6 as a main, 10 as a side
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 30 mins
30-Minute Vegan Tahini Pasta Salad made from gluten-free fusilli pasta, lots of fresh vegetables, and a bright, creamy tahini dressing instead of mayo. A great make-ahead meal or side!
Cuisine: Gluten Free, Vegan Servings: 6 as a main, 10 as a side
Prep Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 10 mins Total Time: 30 mins
30-Minute Vegan Tahini Pasta Salad made from gluten-free fusilli pasta, lots of fresh vegetables, and a bright, creamy tahini dressing instead of mayo. A great make-ahead meal or side!
Instructions
- Make the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Prepare the pasta according to the package instructions, cooking until al dente. Drain and rinse the pasta under cold water.
- Make the dressing: While the pasta cooks, in a small bowl whisk together the dressing ingredients. Set aside.
- Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, combine the cannellini beans, artichoke hearts, bell pepper, cucumber, onion, tomatoes, olives, parsley, and pasta. Pour the dressing on top and toss to evenly coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Notes [2]
This salad can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Recipe adapted from my Greek Pasta Salad with Tofu Feta Cheese.
Copyright © 2020 Amanda Maguire for Pickles & Honey
This looks so refreshing and delicious! Can’t wait to make this as much as possible during the summer x
Yes! It’s the perfect balance of comfort food (pasta) and feel-good food (veggies). 🙂
I’m planning to make this today! I bet it tastes like summer! Love it!
Awesome! Enjoy!
This is so delicious! I’m 8 and a half months pregnant and seriously craving pasta salad and this totally hit the spot!! So creamy and also refreshing!
Yay! I’m almost 38 weeks pregnant myself. 🙂 Congrats!!
Hey! Could you please tell me the nutritional info for this- can’t wait to make it but just wanna know the calories xx
Hi Georga, I don’t have nutritional info, but I’m sure there’s a free online calculator if you’d like a breakdown of nutritional stats. 🙂
I was very excited to make this… have been saving it for weeks. The salad came together nicely (though I think my artichokes were a bit tough) but the dressing was very bitter. Any tips to tweak the flavour profile? I kept the salad and dressing separate knowing that I would want to eat it for lunch for a couple consecutive days. Thanks!
Hmm, I’m sorry the dressing was bitter! I haven’t had that happen, but I’m thinking the tahini you used is definitely the culprit. What brand did you use? I typically buy the organic Whole Foods 365 brand and haven’t had issues with bitterness (as opposed to Trader Joe’s, which I do find to be bitter). One thing you might try to salvage this batch of dressing would be to add a splash more maple syrup.
Yeah… that could make sense. I am in Canada, so don’t have access to either of those brands. The tahini is quite bitter… that and the raw garlic (I use my own, organic garlic so it tends to be very potent).
I’ll try to mellow it out. I also think the beans didn’t help, next time I might try chickpeas instead.
Thanks again!!
Made this for dinner recently and loved it. It was the perfect balance of pasta and healthy vegetables and the creamy dressing just really pulled it all together. My husband and I enjoyed a couple of days of leftovers which held up beautifully with that creamy dressing. It will be a regular summer go to recipe!
That’s so wonderful to hear, Mona! Thank you! We’ve had this pasta salad on rotation all summer long at our house. I’m a big fan of leftovers in all forms, but especially when it comes to this recipe. 🙂
Hi Amanda
I tried the salad yesterday along with the dressing. This is great and I enjoyed every bit of it. I am a regular on your website finding new options and I really enjoy trying your recipes.
Valda
Thank you so much, Valda! I appreciate you reading and making my recipes. 🙂