Lentil Tahini Pasta

Lentil Tahini Pasta

This bowl of lentil tahini pasta is one of my favorite vegan pantry meals to make! Packed with protein and quick to put together! Did I mention it is super flavorful? This is a big deal because…just a little secret here…I’m not really a pasta fan.

Now don’t get me wrong here! It’s not that I hate pasta. It’s more that I am pretty neutral to it. Not typically my go to choice for dinner, but recently I’ve been dreaming of this creamy bowl. The rich creamy tomato sauce really makes this dish and it coats the pasta so perfectly.

How to make Lentil Tahini Pasta

As the recipe title indicates, this pasta uses tahini as a main ingredient. The tahini is what makes this tomato sauce so rich and creamy, but also provides a nice balance against the acidity of the tomato paste. Outside of these base ingredients you will also need lots of spices and the helpful addition of pasta water to get the perfect creamy consistency. Add the pasta into this mix, and it becomes perfectly coated.

Lentil Tahini Pasta

If you don’t have or enjoy lentils, this recipe works really well with other plant proteins like chickpeas, white beans or tofu. Lentils in particular are my go to for the fact they are quick to cook from scratch, but also pack a big nutrition punch.

Lentil Nutrition

  • Excellent source of folate
  • Very good source of fiber
  • Good source of iron, protein (especially the amino acid lysine), zinc and other B Vitamins

Why You Will Love this Recipe

  • You will love this recipe for it’s simplicity, but be blown away by the flavor.
  • All the spices and herbs that help make this sauce more than a tomato sauce.
  • Easy to customize the ingredients to fit whats inside your pantry.

Need some more lentil inspiration?

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Lentil Tahini Pasta

Lentil Tahini Pasta

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 7 reviews
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 2 servings 1x
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: American

Description

This bowl of lentil tahini pasta is one of my favorite vegan pantry meals to make! Packed with protein and quick to put together! Did I mention it is super flavorful? Because it's delicious.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 oz dry pasta of choice (I used rigatoni)
  • 1/2 cup dry lentils
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp dry basil
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
  • 2 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp tahini**
  • 2 cups loosely packed cooking greens (spinach, kale, or collards, etc.)

Instructions

  1. In a sauce pan add lentils and veggie broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer and cook for 10 minutes on low heat, covering with a lid.
  2. As lentils get to the 10 minute mark of cooking, bring a separate pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package.
  3. Going back to the lentils, remove the lid and add tomato paste and all seasonings listed in the ingredients.
  4. Stir to combine and add tahini (or substitution of choice) and greens.
  5. Stir once more and simmer for 5 minutes.
  6. Once pasta is cooked, reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and drain the pasta.
  7. Add pasta and pasta water to the pan with the lentils.
  8. Stir to evenly coat pasta with the sauce and serve!

Notes

  • If you do not have tahini at home, feel free to use 1/4 cup full fat coconut milk Or 1/4 cup hummus to replace it.
  • Make it even higher in protein and gluten free by opting for bean based pasta. 

Did You Try This Recipe?
Then let me know what you thought! Share your creations by tagging me on Instagram with the hashtag #plantbasedrdeats

 Catherine

Lentil Tahini Pasta - plantbasedrd
Lentil Tahini Pasta - plantbasedrd

17 Comments

  1. This was superb! I have never tossed lentils with pasta before, but I love the idea. This sauce was almost cajun-like. I tossed in some steamed cauliflower along with spinach just to add a few more veggies. I will definitely make this one again! Thanks for the awesome recipe!






    1. Yes! This was definitely what I was going for and so so happy to hear you enjoyed it. Love the addition of cauliflower you used here too. 🙂

  2. Hi Catherine! Can I store leftover in the fridge for the next day? All of your recipe are so tempting. I need to try all!
    Thanks for sharing with us!
    Have a nice day:)

      1. Mine kept well in the fridge for several days. I advise storing the sauce separately though and making fresh pasta as required.

  3. Just made this and it was way “soupier” than I had imagined.? I looked over the recipe carefully and measured everything exactly… do you know what I may have done wrong?? The lentils are not as tender as I’d would want either..

    1. Hi! It sounds like the lentils didn’t absorb enough of the liquid. Did you happen to cook it a little longer? Sometimes older dry lentils do need a little longer cooking time. The lentils should be pretty soft and liquid mostly evaporated.

  4. This was delicious. I doubled the recipe and wasn’t sure which type of lentils to use, so I finished up my red lentils and added some green as well. The red cooked faster as expected, and I let the dish reduce while the green finished cooking to get the sauce-like consistency. I loved it and wouldn’t have through to add lentils to a pasta sauce. I recommended this to a coworker as well.






  5. Catherine,
    I am thinking of trying this recipe soon and I wanted some clarification. The tahini and greens in Step 4 are being added to the lentils correct? In Step 5, should the lid be put back on the pot while the lentils simmer for the additional 5 minutes? Thank you for the help! I can’t wait to try this dish out!

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