The mornings are starting to get a little cooler around here and I think I even feel a crispness in the air. That doesn’t mean that I’m done with summer produce though! I’m still eating all the cherry tomatoes and cold pasta salads that I can get my hands on.
This particular pasta salad combines a few of my favorites: Greek flavors, tahini and pasta!
Most creamy pasta salads are mayo based so I wanted to change it up a little and make one that was dairy free. I do like vegan mayo, but for some reason mayo and pasta just don’t mix for me. So, I decided to throw some tahini in and it tastes delicious. It gives the salad a nice nutty flavor while also making it really creamy!
I hope you all are enjoying the last few weeks of summer and looking forward to fall!
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Creamy Tahini Greek Pasta Salad
Prep Time: 10 mins- Cook Time: 12 mins
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Lunch, Gluten Free, Vegan
Ingredients
- 12 ounces pasta, I used gluten free brown rice pasta
- 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (optional, but good for some extra protein)
- 1 small red pepper, chopped
- 1 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 1/2 cup chopped cucumber, I used a hothouse cucumber
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives, cut in half
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 2 tablespoons chopped dill
- Red pepper flakes, to taste
Creamy Tahini Sauce:
- 1/3 cup tahini
- 1/3 cup water
- Juice of one lemon, about 4 tablespoons
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Heat a large pot of water over medium heat and cook pasta according to package directions.
- Add all the dressing ingredients to a large bowl and whisk until combined. Drain the pasta and add it to the bowl along with all the vegetables. Mix well and season with salt, to taste, if desired.
- Pasta can be served immediately or chilled.
Alyssa @ My Sequined Life says
August 28, 2016 at 11:07 pmThis is such a great idea to use tahini!! I’m a little iffy on mayo-based pasta salads, so this looks perfect!
Jessica @ Jessica in the Kitchen says
August 30, 2016 at 11:33 amI love the use of tahini instead of mayo here Izzy!! Such a great idea – tahini is a staple in my household. Really loving this salad!
Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health says
August 30, 2016 at 6:41 pmI’m glad it’s cooling down for you in AZ! It’s been cooler here too and I’m definitely not complaining. But I’m also not ready to give up on summer produce. This pasta salad looks like a delicious way to savor it. I love the idea to use tahini to make it creamy. Looks so good!
Marie R. says
May 25, 2017 at 3:49 pmWe did not like the bitter taste of this salad. Wasted a whole mess of good vegetables with this awful tahini sauce!
She Likes Food says
May 25, 2017 at 5:48 pmDid you taste the sauce before you added all the noodles and veggies to it? That might have helped 🙂 Some tahini brands are more bitter than others.
Kathy says
October 1, 2017 at 10:28 amI loved the sauce! I’ve made this about six times already. Imake it on Sunday and take it all week to work for lunch!
She Likes Food says
October 1, 2017 at 11:18 pmThat’s so great to hear, Kathy! I love the idea of making it for your lunches! 🙂
Lisa says
June 4, 2017 at 2:19 pmMy whole family loved this pasta salad! I wasn’t sure if they were going to like the tahini sauce so I put it on the side. My four year old kept asking for more sauce! I will definitely be making this again! Thanks!????
She Likes Food says
June 5, 2017 at 12:05 amThat’s so great to hear, Lisa! So glad you and your family liked it! 🙂
Suzanne says
September 22, 2017 at 9:04 amCan I use coconut amino instead of tahini sauce.
She Likes Food says
September 22, 2017 at 1:44 pmYou could, but it would be a much different sauce I would think. The tahini makes it a creamy sauce, but I’m sure it would still taste good 🙂
Ev . Ward says
December 15, 2017 at 10:22 pmFantastic we love it .Thank you
★★★★★
She Likes Food says
December 17, 2017 at 10:52 pmThanks so much!
Sarah says
January 21, 2018 at 2:41 pmDelicious! Loved by vegans and meat eaters alike! I go heavy on the seasonings and add some chopped spinach and it’s to die for
She Likes Food says
January 21, 2018 at 3:32 pmYah! I”m so glad to hear you and others enjoyed it! 🙂
Eden La Trobe-lewis says
July 16, 2018 at 6:27 pmI kinda didn’t measure anything as I normally do…. But, wow such a refreshing pasta on such a hot day. Light and delicious! I used artichokes instead of Kalama olives since my partner doesn’t like them. The tahini dressing is so easy and yum I tweaked it with a little nutritional yeast! Also I added some feta for added saltiness.
★★★★★
She Likes Food says
July 20, 2018 at 5:51 pmHaha, that’s the way I cook too! So glad to hear you enjoyed it! Nutritional yeast sounds like a perfect addition 🙂
Lisa H says
September 3, 2018 at 2:04 pmUnfortunately I found it too bitter also, shame as I have so much of it now and I don’t really care for it 🙁
She Likes Food says
September 3, 2018 at 9:09 pmSome tahini brands are more bitter than others, maybe that was the issue? Do you commonly use tahini?
Hannah Lovell says
October 9, 2018 at 12:29 amAwesome pasta salad! I made it for a potluck at work. I didn’t have tahini on hand, so I used vegan cashew cheese and added extra lemon juice to give it a tahini flavor. So yummy. Thank you for sharing!
★★★★★
She Likes Food says
October 9, 2018 at 11:56 amI’m so glad you enjoyed it! I love the vegan cheese substitute!