Greek Tahini Pasta Salad

Ultra creamy, fresh, and healthy, this Greek Tahini Pasta Salad is the perfect easy dinner or picnic food! Enjoy the textures of gluten-free pasta, creamy tahini, olive oil, and fresh salad vegetables.

Course Dinner, Lunch, Side

Cuisine American, Greek-inspired

Keyword tahini pasta sauce, vegan tahini pasta, healthy greek pasta salad

Prep Time 20

Total Time 20

Servings servings

Calories 400kcal

Author Jamie

Ingredients

Tahini Dressing

⅔ cup tahini
¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (1 large juicy lemon should do the trick)
3 cloves garlic , crushed
¼ teaspoon black pepper , plus more to taste
½ teaspoon salt , plus more to taste
¼ - ½ cup water Add last to thin as desired. The amount will depend on tahini texture which can vary a lot in the USA.

Pasta Salad

12 ounces 340 grams dry fusilli pasta (I used gluten-free)
2 medium red bell peppers , chopped
1 large cucumber , chopped
1 medium head of broccoli , florets only, cut into bite-sized pieces
¾ cup halved kalamata olives , drained
⅓ cup minced red onion (about ¼ of a medium red onion)
optional: 1 can white beans or chickpeas , drained and rinsed (about 1 ½ cups)
⅓ cup loosely packed fresh dill , chopped and with stems removed, plus more to garnish if desired

Instructions

Prep: Make the pasta according to instructions. Set aside to cool.
Tahini Dressing: Add all tahini dressing ingredients except water to a medium bowl or two-cup liquid measuring cup. Whisk until smooth. Note that it will be lumpy at first, but keep mixing until it's ultra creamy. Add water in small increments until you reach your desired consistency.
Make the salad: Add all salad ingredients to a large bowl or pot. Pour the dressing on top, and toss until everything is coated and well-mixed. Garnish with fresh dill if you like and serve cold!

Notes

Tip: After cooking the pasta, add just a little drizzle of olive oil (1-2 teaspoons) and stir together gently to prevent the noodles from sticking to each other.

Storage: For best texture, store the tahini pasta sauce separately from the mixed salad ingredients in airtight containers in the fridge. Toss together when ready to eat. This recipe will last for 3-4 days when stored properly.

Note on Leftovers: On the second day, the pasta salad texture can be a little tacky because the noodles absorb some of the sauce. To maintain creaminess, store separately and add the sauce right before serving. My family doesn't mind the texture change on day 2, so we usually mix it all together the first time we eat it anyway!

Nutrition