Tahini Lemon Garlic Pasta Sauce
A silky, nutty, no-cook sauce made by whisking tahini with lemon juice, garlic and olive oil, then loosening it with starchy pasta water. It coats a pound of spaghetti in about 30 minutes and tastes bright, creamy and herbal.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Wait
- 5 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Makes
- About 1¼ cups (300 ml) sauce, enough for 1 lb (450 g) pasta (4 servings)
Steps
Before you start
- Stir the tahini jar very well before measuring. The oil separates and the solids settle at the bottom.
- Use a smooth, pourable tahini. Stiff, thick tahini gives a grainier sauce and needs more water.
- Squeeze fresh lemons. Bottled juice tastes flat and harsh in this sauce.
- Make the sauce while the pasta water heats. The sauce is ready in about 15 minutes of work.
Heat the water
- Fill a 6-quart (6 L) pot with 4 quarts (4 L) of water, cover, and set over high heat.
- Once it reaches a rolling boil, stir in the 1 tablespoon kosher salt.
- Make the sauce while the water heats.
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Ready when: Water is at a full rolling boil with large bubbles.
Tip: Salt the water well. It is the main seasoning for the pasta itself.
Chop the parsley
- Wash and dry the parsley thoroughly.
- Finely chop the leaves and tender stems to get ½ cup (25 g) loosely packed.
- Set aside.
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Ready when: Parsley is finely chopped with no large pieces.
Tip: Dry parsley chops cleanly. Wet parsley turns into a smear.
Mellow the garlic
- In the large mixing bowl, combine the lemon juice, grated garlic and ½ teaspoon fine sea salt.
- Let it sit for 5 minutes.
- The acid softens the raw garlic bite.
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Ready when: Garlic paste is fully submerged and the mixture smells less sharp.
Tip: Grate the garlic on a Microplane so no chunks remain in the smooth sauce.
Whisk in tahini
- Add the tahini and olive oil to the bowl.
- Whisk vigorously for about 1 minute.
- The mixture will first seize into a thick, pasty clump.
- This is normal, and it loosens once you add water.
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Ready when: Thick, uniform paste with no streaks of oil or tahini.
Tip: Do not add water yet. Pasta water is better for loosening at the end, when it is starchy.
Cook the pasta
- Add the pasta to the boiling water and stir for the first 30 seconds so it does not stick.
- Cook at a steady boil, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute less than the package time, usually 9 to 10 minutes.
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Ready when: Pasta is tender with a slight firmness in the center when bitten (al dente).
Tip: It finishes cooking in the sauce, so pull it a minute early.
Save pasta water
- Before draining, scoop out 1½ cups (360 ml) of the cloudy pasta water into the liquid measuring cup.
- Drain the pasta in the colander without rinsing.
- Do not shake it fully dry.
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Ready when: You have 1½ cups (360 ml) of starchy water reserved.
Tip: Scoop the water out before draining. It is easy to forget and cannot be replaced.
Loosen the sauce
- Whisk ½ cup (120 ml) of the hot pasta water into the tahini mixture, a splash at a time, whisking after each addition.
- The sauce will turn pale and smooth, like heavy cream.
- Add up to ¼ cup (60 ml) more if it still looks thick.
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Ready when: Smooth, pourable sauce that coats the back of a spoon and drips slowly.
Tip: Add water gradually. Tahini goes from thick to thin quickly.
Toss and season
- Add the hot drained pasta to the bowl along with half the parsley.
- Toss with tongs for 1 to 2 minutes until every strand is coated.
- Add more pasta water, 2 tablespoons (30 ml) at a time, until the sauce is glossy and clings without clumping.
- Taste and add more salt, black pepper, or a squeeze of lemon if needed.
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Ready when: Pasta is glossy and creamy, with no dry spots and no pool of sauce in the bowl.
Tip: Sauce thickens as it cools, so keep it slightly looser than you want at the table.
Serve
- Divide among 4 warm bowls.
- Top with the remaining parsley, a drizzle of olive oil, and red pepper flakes if using.
- Serve right away.
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Ready when: Pasta is creamy and steaming with green flecks of parsley on top.
Good to know
Tips
- If the sauce looks broken or grainy, whisk in 1 tablespoon of hot water at a time until it turns smooth again.
- Warm water loosens tahini more smoothly than cold water, so use hot pasta water.
- To make it a fuller meal, add roasted chickpeas, sautéed spinach, or toasted pine nuts.
- Tahini brands vary in thickness and bitterness, so taste the sauce and adjust the lemon and salt at the end.
Make ahead
The sauce (through the tahini and oil whisking step, without pasta water) keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days. Let it come to room temperature, then whisk in hot pasta water or warm water to loosen before tossing with pasta.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature: serve right away and do not leave out longer than 2 hours. Fridge: store the dressed pasta in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Freezer: not recommended, since the sauce separates. Reheat in a skillet over medium-low heat with 2 to 3 tablespoons water per portion, tossing until creamy and hot.
Substitutions
- tahini → smooth almond butter or sunflower seed butter. The flavor is sweeter and less earthy. Use the same amount and add a little more lemon.
- fresh flat-leaf parsley → fresh cilantro or dill. Use the same amount. Dill gives a fresher, more tangy flavor.
- spaghetti or linguine → gluten-free spaghetti. Check doneness 1 to 2 minutes early. Reserve extra pasta water because gluten-free pasta absorbs more sauce.
- fresh lemon juice → fresh lime juice. Use the same amount for a sharper citrus taste.