This creamy spinach and mushroom pasta in tahini sauce is full of deep, earthy flavors. It only takes a few minutes to throw together and your oven does the rest. Plus, it's dairy free, completely vegan and can easily be made gluten-free.
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If you've seen my tagliatelle ai funghi or my creamy paprika pasta , you'll know that I love an easy, flavorful pasta recipe. They're so simple to make, and everyone loves them!
This tahini pasta recipe is one that I've been working on for a while, and I'm thrilled to be sharing it with you today. It's so creamy and satisfying, with the perfect blend of earthy mushroom and chestnut flavors. You can even serve it cold as a pasta salad.
💚Reasons You'll Love This Recipe
💚With a 30 minute cook time from start to finish, this pasta comes together quickly for a weeknight dinner, and who doesn't love that?
💚Spinach, mushrooms, whole grains, and tahini provide a healthy dose of vitamins, minerals, and plant-based protein.
💚Picky eaters likely will enjoy this pasta thanks to simple flavors and a creamy texture kids tend to love.
👨🍳How To Make Spinach And Mushroom Pasta In Tahini Sauce
- Preheat your oven to 430° F (220° C). Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Add the mushrooms (I've used Portobello and Shiitake mushrooms), onions and chestnuts to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and season generously with with salt and pepper. Transfer to the prepared baking tray, and roast for 20 minutes.
- When the mushrooms and chestnuts are halfway through their cooking time, put your pasta on to boil. Cook according to packet instructions.
- While your pasta is cooking, prepare your tahini lemon pasta sauce by combining the tahini, lemon juice, lemon zest, peanut butter, garlic, chili pepper flakes and 3 tablespoons of water. Whisk with a fork until well combined.
- Drain the pasta, reserving ¾ cup of the cooking liquid. Add the cooking liquid to the tahini dressing and whisk to combine. Pour the sauce over the pasta and stir in the mushrooms, onions and chestnuts. Stir in the spinach, which should wilt on its own in the hot pasta. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
💡Variations
This recipe is easily adapted to what you have in your fridge. Below are a few swap suggestions that work well with tahini pasta.
- Swap the mushrooms for roasted butternut squash cubes or cauliflower.
- Swap Asian mushrooms such as shiitake mushrooms for the chestnut mushrooms for a deeper, earthier flavor.
- Use kale instead of spinach.
- Stir a tablespoon of harissa sauce into the tahini and omit the peanut butter.
- Swap the peanut butter for a 1 ½ tablespoons of tomato paste.
- Serve it cold as a no mayo pasta salad.
- Make it gluten-free by swapping in gluten-free pasta.
🍽️What To Serve With Spinach And Mushroom Pasta
- A simple cucumber and tomato salad or an earthy kale salad would complement this dish beautifully.
- Garlic bread or these popular vegan garlic knots are always a good call with any pasta dish.
- Roast cauliflower florets with curry powder, salt, and olive oil until browned. The curry notes match the tahini perfectly.
- Toss Brussels sprouts with olive oil, salt, and pepper and roast at 400°F until browned and tender. The nutty flavor is amazing. You could also try these amazing maple balsamic Brussels sprouts.
❄️Storage Instructions
Refrigerator
Allow the pasta to cool completely before storing it in the refrigerator. Transfer to an airtight container. Plastic, glass, or stainless steel containers all work well. Make sure the pasta is submerged under the tahini sauce to prevent it from drying out. You can store spinach and mushroom pasta in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezer
Allow the pasta to cool completely first before freezing. Portion into single servings in freezable airtight containers, leaving 1⁄2 inch headspace at the top. Plastic or glass will both work. Ensure the pasta is completely submerged in the tahini sauce. Freeze for up to 2-3 months.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Add a splash of non-dairy milk or water when reheating if the pasta seems dry. Reheat gently over medium-low, stirring frequently, until hot throughout.
Did You Make This Recipe?
If so, I'd love to see it! Tag me on Instagram @thisdailydish. Or, leave me a comment below. It makes my day, and your feedback helps other readers!
🙋Frequently Asked Questions
You can use any short shape pasta for this recipe - penne, farfalle, rotini all work well to catch the delicious sauce. Stay away from long pastas like spaghetti.
Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds that has an earthy, nutty, slightly bitter flavor profile. The sauce will be rich and creamy with a pleasant sesame undertone.ely! Let the pasta cool completely, transfer to an airtight contain and freeze for up to four months. Defrost in the fridge and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
You can use any variety of mushrooms in this recipe. As for the spinach, kale or arugula would make nice alternatives. You will want some type of green that will wilt nicely in the sauce. Avoid cabbage or other tougher greens that won't soften as well. Adjust cooking times as needed.
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📖 Recipe
Spinach And Mushroom Pasta In Tahini Sauce
Ingredients
For The Tahini Pasta Sauce
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 1 lemon juice and zest
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 garlic clove minced
- ¾ cup pasta water *cooking water from pasta
For The Mushroom And Chestnut Pasta
- 5 ounces portobello mushrooms cut into wedges
- 5 ounces woodland mushrooms roughly cut in half
- 2 red onions cut into quarters *see note 1
- 1½ cups cooked chestnuts cut in half
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 10 ounces pasta
- 2 cups spinach
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 430° F (220° C). Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Add the mushrooms, onions and chestnuts to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the baking tray, and roast for 20 minutes.
- When the mushrooms and chestnuts are halfway through their cooking time, put the pasta on to boil. Cook according to the instructions on the packet.
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare the tahini lemon pasta sauce by combining the tahini, lemon juice, lemon zest, peanut butter, garlic, chili pepper flakes and 3 tablespoons of water.
- Drain the pasta, reserving ¾ cup of the cooking water. Add the cooking water to the tahini dressing and whisk to combine. Pour the sauce over the pasta and stir in the mushrooms, onions and chestnuts. Stir in the spinach, which should wilt on its own in the hot pasta.
Notes
- To keep the onion quarter intact, cut off the stem end of the onion by about ¼ of an inch. Trim the root, but keep the root end intact. This is what will keep the onion quarters from separating.
Don
Can you use cashew, walnuts or peanuts in place of the chestnuts?
Keri Bevan
Hi Don, yes, you can, but they'll require less roasting time, about 8-10 minutes. So, you'd either need to add them to the pan in the final 10 minutes or dry roast them in a skillet on the stove top. Hope that helps!
Savannah
This pasta is my favorite! We have this almost weekly because it is so easy to make with easy ingredients. Highly recommend!
nancy
the tahini dressing was really lovely!! I will be making this again! thanks!
Katie
This pasta is perfect! It's simple and delicious, with a unique flavor that my whole family loved!
Keri Bevan
Thank you so much, Katie!
Melanie
A wonderful fall comfort food dish! Love the tahini inclusion - thank you for a great recipe!
Keri Bevan
Thanks, Melanie! I'm always looking for wayas to use tahini. Love it!
Jacqui
The mix of lemon and tahini is absolutely divine! I am totally going to make this again.
Kaitlin
I have never made pasta with tahini until this recipe! It was yummy and a great family meal prep option.
nancy
adding tahini with my pasta sauce was a great creamy addition. Everyone loved it last night over dinner!
Keri Bevan
Isn't it so yummy? We make it a lot at our house too. Glad you liked it, and thanks so much for the feedback!
Lisa
This is a creative and delicious recipe, thank you!
Keri Bevan
Hi Lisa,
Thank you!:)
Jacqui
This is such a wholesome and delicious pasta recipe! My whole family enjoyed it. 11/10 recommend!
Keri Bevan
Hi Jacqui, I'm really pleased that everyone enjoyed the pasta. It's one of our favorite dishes over here too!
Dylan
love this recipe! Thanks!
Keri Bevan
Hi Dylan, Thanks so much. I'm pleased you liked the recipe:)x