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Tahini Pasta Salad is perfect for when you’re looking for an easy side dish or cold pasta salad to bring to a party that no one else will have thought of! It’s fresh and full of flavor, with rotini pasta, colorful vegetables, and hearty chickpeas. The tahini dressing is the real MVP here. Just a few ingredients whisked together give this salad a creamy but light feel. If you’ve been on the hunt for a pasta salad without mayonnaise that still tastes amazing, this is it!
Jump to Section
- Recipe at a Glance
- Ingredients to Make Tahini Pasta Salad
- Popular Substitutions & Additions
- How to Make Tahini Pasta Salad
- Tips for Making the Best Cold Pasta Salad
- What to Serve With Simple Tahini Pasta Salad
- How to Store Pasta Salad
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Salad & Power Bowl Recipes:
- Tahini Pasta Salad Recipe
Fresh veggies, tender pasta, and a tasty dressing–what’s not to love about cold pasta salad? Nothing in my book! In this tahini pasta salad recipe, I’ve combined Greek and Middle Eastern flavors for a unique spin on a summer favorite that is so good! I like to make the tahini dressing while the pasta’s boiling – it’s just tahini, lemon, garlic, and yogurt mixed up until it’s smooth. Sumac adds a nice little pop, but don’t sweat it if you don’t have any. Once the pasta’s done, I toss it all together and stick it in the fridge. It’s one of those dishes that gets even better after it chills for a bit, and it’s solid for meal prep or to bring to a friend’s place. It’s just easy, which is what I love about it.
This recipe was part of our monthly Cooking Challenge for June 2024!
Recipe at a Glance
Cuisine Inspiration: American with Middle Eastern influence
Primary Cooking Method: Stovetop
Dietary Info: Vegetarian
Key Flavor: Tangy with notes of toasted sesame
Skill Level: Beginner
Ingredients to Make Tahini Pasta Salad
- Pasta: I love to use rotini in this pasta salad, but feel free to use another favorite medium pasta, such as farfalle (bow-tie pasta), elbows, or penne.
- Chickpeas: Use one can of chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed. This equates to about 1 ¾ cups of cooked chickpeas.
- Persian cucumbers: Petite Persian cucumbers are wonderfully crisp with tender skin and less seeds than some other cucumbers. If you can’t find them, you can swap in half an English cucumber or one standard medium-size cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced.
- Green bell pepper: Crisp and refreshing diced green bell peppers add crunchy texture to the salad.
- Grape tomatoes: Grape tomatoes add vibrant color and a juicy bite. Halved cherry tomatoes will also work.
- Kalamata olives: Briny kalamata olives bring a welcome salty note.
- Dressing: You’ll need tahini, lemon juice, garlic, greek yogurt, sumac, salt and pepper. The tahini makes it creamy and nutty which is really well balanced with the tangy greek yogurt, garlic and fresh lemon juice. Sumac adds a fruity tangy flavor but you can swap with lemon zest or lemon pepper.
Popular Substitutions & Additions
- Use whole wheat pasta: The nutty flavors of whole wheat pasta pair well with the earthy tahini pasta salad dressing.
- Make it gluten-free: Use your favorite medium pasta for a gluten-free tahini pasta salad. Brown rice pasta works particularly well in pasta salads.
- Swap the veggies: This easy tahini pasta salad is simple to customize with your favorite vegetables. Add lightly steamed asparagus and diced artichoke hearts for a springy spin; roasted butternut squash and kale would be great in a winter version.
- Add more herbs: Try tahini pasta salad with fresh dill or fresh basil in addition to, or in place of, the parsley. Or, if you don’t have any fresh herbs on hand, a generous pinch of dried thyme and/or dried oregano would be delicious.
How to Make Tahini Pasta Salad
- Cook the pasta, drain it, and pour it into a large bowl.
- Mix up the dressing and pour it over the cooked pasta.
- Add the chickpeas, cucumbers, bell pepper, tomatoes, olives, and parsley.
- Toss until the pasta and veggies are coated with the dressing.
Tips for Making the Best Cold Pasta Salad
- Salt the pasta water: To enhance the flavor of the pasta, add a generous pinch of salt to the water before adding the pasta.
- Cook pasta until just past al dente: If you overcook it, you risk pasta that will fall apart in the salad.
- Don’t rinse the pasta: For the best pasta salad, don’t rinse the pasta after cooking and draining. Rinsing removes the starches that help the dressing cling to the pasta.
- Chill before serving: Leaving pasta salad in the fridge for a bit before serving will allow the flavors to develop, resulting in the most delicious tahini pasta salad.
- Make-ahead tip: For the best texture, if you’re making your pasta salad more than a day or two ahead of time, keep the dressing separate and mix it into the pasta salad a few hours before serving.
What to Serve With Simple Tahini Pasta Salad
You can, of course, serve this pasta salad as an entrée if you’re craving a light and fresh vegetarian meal! If you want to serve this salad alongside chicken, beef, lamb, or a plant-based protein, try one of these recipes:
- Air-Fried Falafel
- Parmesan and Almond-Crusted Chicken
- Air-Fried Tofu
- Oven-Baked Beef Greek Meatballs
- Lemon Grilled Chicken
- Lamb Kabobs on the Grill
How to Store Pasta Salad
Leftover pasta salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
How Long Will Tahini Pasta Salad Last in the Fridge?
It will last up to three days in the refrigerator, but this pasta salad tastes best when it’s eaten the day you made it or the day after.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sometimes, the pasta will continue to soak up the dressing after it sits. To resolve this problem, make up another batch of the dressing and add some to your salad until it’s as creamy as you’d like it.
Depending on the brand of tahini used, some are more bitter than others. Also, you may want to check the date on your tahini, and make sure it is still fresh. To counteract some of the bitterness, you can try adding a teaspoon of pure maple syrup or honey to the dressing.
A couple of tricks can help prevent bland pasta salad. First, salt your pasta water before adding the pasta to cook. Next, add flavorful ingredients in your dressing like with this tahini pasta salad recipe. Finally, after the salad is assembled, taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
With a variety of fresh flavors, colors, and textures, tahini pasta salad is a crowd-pleasing side dish that’s so delicious! It’s easy to make, done in 20 minutes, and so much more interesting than your standard pasta salad. I love that it brings that classic pasta salad creaminess to the table without mayonnaise, for a lighter-tasting option everyone will love!
More Salad & Power Bowl Recipes:
- Fresh Lebanese-Style Tahini Salad
- Quinoa, Tomato, and Avocado Salad
- Chopped Mediterranean Salad
- Cauliflower Salad with Tahini Dressing
- Mediterranean Quinoa Hummus Bowl
- Lebanese Tabbouleh Salad
- Mediterranean Salad with Kale and Farro
- Vegan Quinoa Buddha Bowl with Tahini Dressing
If you try this feel good Tahini Pasta Salad recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
Tahini Pasta Salad
Video
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 8 ounces rotini pasta
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 2 Persian cucumbers chopped
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 1 pint grape tomatoes halved
- ¼ cup pitted Kalamata olives roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
For the Dressing
- ¼ cup tahini
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 3 tablespoons water
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon sumac
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season with salt and add pasta. Cook according to the package directions, then drain and set aside in a large bowl.
- Meanwhile in a small bowl or jar, make the dressing by whisking the tahini, lemon juice, and garlic until well combined. Gradually add water to the mixture until well blended. Stir in the greek yogurt, sumac, salt, and pepper, and continue to whisk until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Add the dressing to the cooked pasta, then top with the chickpeas, cucumbers, bell pepper, tomatoes, olives, and parsley. Toss until everything is combined and evenly coated in the dressing.
- Chill for 1 hour before serving to allow the flavors to develop.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
I love it!!! It’s a perfect pasta salad. I did it for my grilled chicken, is super delicious, fresh & balanced flavors!
Yay! So happy you liked it, Dolly!
It looks so yummy and filling at the same time!
Thanks, Alice! I hope you enjoy the recipe!
This is an an incredible pasta salad. The tahini recipe cannot be beat. The flavors are balanced and I crave it when I’ve eaten it all! I’m wanting to add artichoke hearts but not sure if it would throw off the balance of salt.
Oooh yum, I think artichoke hearts would be so good in this salad! I would mix them in before adding salt and then see if it needs more. Let me know how it turns out!!
This recipe is truly divine! Perfect for the Summer!
Yay, I’m so happy you think so! Thanks, Chloe!!
Obsessed with this
Yay, I’m so glad!
I just tried this recipe any my whole family loved it!
Yay, so happy your family enjoyed!!
I love this salad! I add some feta and onions! It’s a hit in our family!
Yum, love the addition of feta and onions! So glad it’s a hit!!
I just tried this recipe. It honestly tastes like heaven!
Aww so glad you liked it, Perla! Thank you!!
Love this pasta salad! So nice to have something new and different and the dressing really is delicious!
Yay, I’m so happy you liked it!!
What an easy salad to make. And very tasty too. Light, lots of veggie and fruit (tomatoes I guess). Next time I make it I will probably do a bit more lemon or adjust the sauce a little bit to taste. I like a little more kick in seasoning. Just a personal preference.
Thanks for the feedback, Angie! I’m glad you liked the pasta salad and hope you’ll make it again with your tweaks, they sound great!
Another pasta/salad that was a hit! Tahini and sumac combo were delicious together! I enjoyed it so much, kept me full through the day!
Yay, that’s amazing!! So happy you liked it!
Made it for dinner tonight. Skipped the chickpeas and my husband and I loved the salad.
So glad you and your husband loved it!
Delicious and easy to make!! Love that it’s heart healthy too!
Yay, me too!! Thanks, Sarah!
This recipe did not disappoint! I love Mediterranean flavors and this pasta salad was the perfect balance of freshness and richness from the tahini. I’ll definitely be making this on repeat!
Aww, so glad you enjoyed it!! Thanks, Ashley!
This pasta salad was delicious!! So flavorful and full of veggies! The dressing is super creamy and is the perfect finishing touch for the salad too! I love having pasta salads for lunch in the summer and this one was definitely one of my favorites!
Yay, so glad you liked it! I love pasta salads as summer lunches too!
I’ll be adding this to the summer salad rotation. It’s so simple to make and the dressing is delicious. I think it would work great on its own for a veggie and pita chip dip!
So happy you liked the pasta salad, Heidi! Oooh, I love the idea of using the dressing as a dip. I will have to try that myself, thank you for the idea!!
Made this today! It is hot here (Florida) and we needed a refreshing side for bbq meals. I’m elated to have a way to make pasta salad without mayo. My store didn’t have sumac so I used coriander. Skipped the olives, added matchstick carrots and a smidge of feta cheese.
Thanks for this!
Yay, so glad you liked it!! It’s the perfect cold side salad for hot summer days. Love the tweaks you made!
I was looking for a new summer pasta salad recipe and this is it! I used yellow pepper and multi colored tomatoes because it’s what I had on hand. I love the dressing! Can’t wait to make it again.
Oooh yum, sounds so fresh and colorful!! So glad you liked it—thanks, Kristi!
I prepared this delightful tahini pasta salad! The entire family loved it. I particularly enjoyed the tahini sauce. Many thanks to Yumna! 🌟
Yay, so happy you and your family loved it!! I love the tahini dressing too—thanks, Shadi!
So light and refreshing. The dressing mixed with the veggies and pasta really mesh well together! This will definitely be on the list for dishes this summer!
Thanks, Rana! I hope you enjoy this pasta salad all summer long!!
Yumna, it’s a hit!!! I made your tahini pasta salad! I shared my pictures and people are yelling at me to share your recipe! I thought it was supposed to chill for a bit but honestly I couldn’t put it away. Lol I kept tasting it to see if it got better yet!!🥰💋💕 Forever grateful, Jan
Awww, I’m so happy to hear that!! Thanks so much, Jan!
This was so delicious! I didn’t have sumac so I substitute ground coriander and it was still so good! I’ll have to try it again with sumac. The veggies gave a nice crunch and the sauce was super creamy. It was my first time using tahini as well and I was pleasantly surprised. This was a refreshing alternative to the run-of-the-mill pasta salads I’m so used to. I can’t wait to try more recipes!
Aww, thank you! So happy you liked this pasta salad and I love that it was your first time trying tahini! I have so many tahini recipes on the site, I hope you’ll try some out!!
Love a good pasta salad and this one sure screams summer! Love the dressing and I shared it with others who all asked for the recipe. 10/10 recommend
Yes, it does!! I love this pasta salad in the summer, it really hits the spot! Thanks, Patricia—so happy you and your friends liked the recipe!!
I love a cold pasta salad and this tahini pasta salad hit the spot!!! I swapped out basil for parsley and added artichokes. Yum!
Thanks, Noreen! Yum, love the tweaks you made—sounds so good!!
I absolutely loved the dressing! The sumac made it so flavorful.
Yay, I’m so happy to hear you liked it!! Thanks, Rochelle!
This was an amazing pasta and I love the way the tahini sauce complements the vegetables. I absolutely love this recipe and I will make it over and over again.
Aww, thank you! So happy to hear you liked it!!
Delicious! Made this for a late mother’s day lunch and everyone loved it. I didn’t have sumac but had all the other ingredients and still tasted great! I love tahini so always looking for new ways to use it. I’ll definitely be making this again (great for a potluck)! So easy to make and packed with flavour.
Yay, so happy you enjoyed it!! This pasta salad is perfect for a Mother’s Day lunch. Thanks for sharing, Stephanie!
This dressing is so good! (I wonder what other recipes I could use it in…) The tahini and the sumac, which I wouldn’t have thought to use, work so well together. The rest of the ingredients work really well together too, and this dish is just the thing for picnic season. The recipe made so much food that I’ll be able to use it for a picnic if I’d like to. The only thing missing was some heat, so I solved that by adding a ton of Aleppo pepper flakes! Thanks for sharing this recipe!!
Thanks, Alina! I agree, the tahini and sumac work beautifully together in this dressing. Pepper flakes are perfect for adding some heat too—sounds delicious!!
Delicious dressing with tahini adding the tasty creamy quality without using mayonnaise. Orzo pasta is what I used and loved it!
Yum, orzo pasta sounds so good! So happy you enjoyed it, Kathy!!
I found the perfect recipe for a lazy Saturday! This Tahini Pasta Salad its a must try, the best part? It’s incredibly easy to make and customize to your taste. I added some corn instead of the Chickpeas. The recipe is also very versatile, so feel free to get creative with your favorite ingredients!
Overall, this Tahini Pasta Salad is a must-try for anyone looking for a healthy, delicious, and satisfying meal. 5 stars and a big thumbs up from me!
Yay, so happy you enjoyed it!! I agree—it’s so versatile and easy to throw together with whatever you have available in your kitchen. Thanks so much, Alma!!
This salad is amazing! My kids purchased your book for my Mother’s Day present but due to a trip and an illness, I haven’t yet received it. I made this today to bridge the gap and I’m so glad I did.
The vegetables are crisp and fresh. The dressing is both tangy and earthy and so good! I can’t wait to try more!
Aww, what a sweet present from your kids!! I’m so glad you enjoyed this salad and am so excited for you to try out the recipes from my cookbook. Thanks, Laura!!
Don’t care for chickpeas,is there a substitute you can recommend.
You could swap for any bean you prefer.
Any thought on How can you make this dairy free?
Hi Carol! Sure, you can just omit the yogurt. Hope you enjoy it!