These recipes are perfect for warm weather and lazy days. They take 15 minutes to make and are light and refreshing! They’re all vegan and can be made gluten-free as well.
If you try out one of these recipes, be sure to let me know on Youtube or down below in the comments :)
Tahini and Greens Pasta Salad
Tahini and Greens Pasta Salad
This recipe tastes just like classic pasta salad but it’s so much better for you! Instead of mayo, the creaminess comes from tahini, and to add lots of freshness, there’s lots of lemon, basil, dill, and parsley. Green beans and asparagus get cooked with pasta at the same time, making this an easy and fuss-free meal.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces (227g) short-to-medium pasta, such as orecchiette, fusilli, or penne (can use gluten-free pasta)
- 4 ounces (115g) asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 4 ounces (115g) green beans, trimmed and cut into-2 inch pieces
Lemon-Tahini Sauce
- 1/3 cup (75g tahini
- 1 small lemon, zested
- 2 ½ – 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, about 1 medium lemon
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 4 tablespoons water, to thin
- 1 (15-ounce / 440g) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup (12-15g) soft tender herbs, chopped finely (I used parsley, dill, and basil)
- ¼ cup (30g) pine nuts, toasted
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Add pasta and cook according to the box but add 1 minute to the maximum cook time (e.g., if range is 9-11 minutes, plan to cook the pasta for 12 minutes). When there is 5 minutes of cooking time left, add the green beans and cook for 2 minutes; then add the asparagus and cook for another 3 minutes.
- While the pasta and vegetables are cooking, prepare an ice bath. Fill a large bowl of water with ice and cold water.
- As soon as the pasta is al dente and the veggies are crisp tender, drain immediately and transfer to an ice bath (or use a strainer to directly transfer them from the pot to the ice bath). Drain the pasta and veggies from the ice bath in a colander. Shake off the excess water, but it’s okay if the pasta is still a little damp because it will help bring the sauce together. Lightly sprinkle the drained pasta and veggies with a bit of kosher salt.
- While the pasta and veggies are cooling, make the Lemon Tahini Sauce. In a large bowl, whisk together the tahini, lemon zest, lemon juice, oil, salt, and pepper. Stream in the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and whisk until pourable yet still somewhat thick.
- Once the pasta and veggies are cooled, add them to the sauce. Toss well to coat. Add the chickpeas, pine nuts, and fresh herbs, then toss to combine. Taste for seasonings, adding more salt and pepper as needed.
Notes
*Salt the pasta water a bit more generously than usual since we’re cooking pasta and veggies together. Also, cooking the veggies with the pasta usually adds an additional minute of cooking to the pasta. If your pasta box cook time gives a range of 9-11 minutes, plan to cook the pasta for 12 minutes.
**To toast pine nuts, heat a dry skillet over medium heat for a few minutes. Add the pine nuts and toss occasionally until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
Calories: 534kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Sodium: 601mg | Potassium: 594mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 764IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 114mg | Iron: 5mg
Fresh Tomato Pasta with Charred Cherry Tomatoes
Fresh Tomato Pasta with Charred Cherry Tomatoes
This is a double tomato pasta that is an excellent use for summer tomatoes. There are only 6 ingredients, so I highly recommend using the best-quality ingredients you can find and afford. This pasta is light and lovely and perfect for al fresco dining, but if you want to bulk it up, serve with pan-fried cannellini beans or your favorite protein. Serve warm, at room temperature, or even cold!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces (227g) thin long pasta, such as capellini, spaghetti or angel hair pasta (can use gluten-free pasta)
Fresh Tomato Sauce
- 14 ounces (400g) of best-quality tomatoes
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons good-quality extra virgin olive oil
- 2 extra large garlic cloves, or 4 small garlic cloves
Skillet-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
- 1 pint (280-310g) cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup (~10g) fresh basil, slivered
- Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt the water generously. Add the pasta and cook according to the package. Drain pasta and set aside.
- Make the Fresh Tomato Sauce. Meanwhile, roughly chop the tomatoes (they’ll get pureed, so no need to be precise). In a food processor or blender, add the tomatoes, salt, olive oil, and garlic cloves. Blend until you have a puree with only small pieces remaining. Taste for seasonings, adding more salt as needed.
- Make the Skillet-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until it’s smoking – it should take 4-5 minutes to start smoking. Add the 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, followed by the cherry tomatoes. Stand back, as the oil might sputter. Cook until the tomatoes are charred in spots and are slightly wrinkled, 4-5 minutes, tossing the pan occasionally. Take the pan off the heat, and toss the charred tomatoes with the slivered basil.
- Transfer the cooked pasta to a serving bowl. Add some of the fresh tomato sauce, coating well. Add more sauce as needed. Mix in the charred cherry tomatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and an extra drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and more fresh basil.
Calories: 441kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Sodium: 223mg | Potassium: 850mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2085IU | Vitamin C: 56mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 3mg
Sesame-Ginger Rainbow Noodle Salad
Sesame-Ginger Rainbow Noodle Salad
This noodle salad might not technically be pasta but it is extremely delicious and flavorful. It features some of my favorite Asian ingredients: hearty Japanese noodles, spicy Thai sriracha, and a generous kick of toasted sesame oil, ginger, and garlic. For the crunchy veggies, I use snow peas, cucumber, yellow bell peppers, and red cabbage, but feel free to use whatever fresh crunchy vegetables you have on hand or enjoy most. To keep this gluten-free, use brown rice noodles (or another gluten-free noodle of choice). Some soba noodles are gluten-free (soba = buckwheat = gluten-free), but many varieties of soba noodles also contain wheat and are therefore not gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 6 ounces (170g) udon noodles or soba noodles (use brown rice noodles for gluten-free)
Sesame-Ginger Almond Sauce
- 4 tablespoons creamy almond butter
- 1/2 – 1 ½ tablespoons Sriracha (use 1/2 tablespoon for a mild version; 1 ½ tablespoons for a spicy version)
- 1 tablespoons rice vinegar
- ½ tablespoon agave nectar (can substitute cane sugar or maple syrup)
- 1/2 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 ½ inch piece ginger, grated or minced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2-3 tablespoons water
- 2 cups finely chopped crunchy raw veggies, such as bell peppers, snow peas, cucumbers, red or Chinese cabbage, carrots, or sugar snap peas
- 1 ½ cups (225g) shelled edamame
Toppings
- 1 small handful cilantro, chopped
- 3-4 scallions, sliced on an angle
- 1-2 teaspoons sesame seeds
Instructions
- Cook the noodles according to the package directions, then drain and submerge in cool water until chilled.
- Meanwhile, make the Sesame-Ginger Almond Sauce. Place the almond butter in a large microwave safe bowl. Warm for 25 seconds until somewhat runny and smooth. Add all of the other ingredients except for the water, and whisk until combined. Add the water to thin into a pourable sauce. You could also skip the microwave step and mix all of the ingredients in a food processor (if you do, no need to finely mince the ginger and garlic).
- Once the noodles are chilled, add to the large bowl with the sauce and toss to combine. Add the chopped veggies and edamame, toss again to combine. Garnish with the cilantro, scallions, and sesame seeds.
Calories: 501kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 646mg | Potassium: 829mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 561IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 203mg | Iron: 5mg
I made the sauce and it honestly tasted gross to me, watery and bitter. So I added garlic paste, maple syrup, and coconut sugar and it came ALIVE! in a magical way.
Reminded me very much of the raw salmon dip sauce my family in Iceland uses, stoked to recreate it but vegan (and no Salmon of course). Thank you!!
the lemon tahini sauce, I’m referring to : ]
Sorry to hear that, Karl! It potentially could have had something to do with the tahini you used, as not all tahinis are created equal. Our favorites are soom foods, seed + mill as well as Baron’s or Beirut. We are glad you were able to tweak the recipe to fit your preferences, though!
Loved the Tahini Green salad. Ate it hot, couldn’t wait lol it was still delicious!!!
Made the Tahini Greens Salad and my family loved it. I used dill, parsley, bit of cilantro and some thinly sliced spinach. Tahini is a fairly new ingredient for me and I had a hard time scooping out of the jar and whisking away the lumps. Do you have any tips to make this easier?
Also, I was not able to eat the salad freshly made so it had been in the fridge half a day and the tahini got so thick. The salad was delicious but I was wondering if you had any tips on handling that tahini sauce better.
Hi Elgie,
I love this recipe too, it’s so fresh and herby! :) For the tahini, you can think of it kind of like peanut butter. All the oil rises to the top of the jar, and it’s always very thick and sometimes almost dry at the bottom of the jar. When you open your tahini, stir it really well, I like using a stiff spatula or even a butter knife to make sure I’m getting off all the tahini stuck to the bottom, and then you can use a whisk or a fork to make it a a nice consistency again. If you aren’t planning on eating the salad right away, you can keep the dressing separate and add everything except the water. Keep this in your fridge, and before serving, add the water and whisk well, it will turn into a beautiful pourable sauce :)
My family LOVED this tonight. Made a different pasta recipe of yours last night that I didnt think could be topped. This was amazing. And you are right the dill really adds a wonderful taste with the tahini, lemon and pine nuts. (I did also use basil and parsley). My husband (who is not vegan) told me to make it again soon! Thank you for another amazing recipe!! You are my favorite blogger as I have so many of your recipes on rotation!!
Awesome, Meredith. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
Hi Nisha, I love your recipes!! I wonder if you could break the recipes on this page into separate pages? I use an app called Whisk to track my recipes so that I can do on my menu planning. That way I can see each recipe individually.
Thank you for everything you do. You are hands down my favorite online chef.
Nisha!!! OMG!! Your tahini pasta dressing!!! I’ve just eaten enough to sink a battleship! I can barely breathe!! So goooood! I’m delighted, because my previous lemon/tahini dressing took 1/4 cup of olive oil vs your 1 tbs. It’s lost none of the addictive taste explosion, but is a little less guilt making. Except I ate the whole batch in one meal. Someone stop me…
So great to hear you’re a fan of the pasta, Diana! Thank you for the lovely review :)
I just made the tahini and greens pasta salad for the second time and it’s so delicious! This time I was inspired by the whole “greens” theme to use roasted pistachios instead of pine nuts. It’s super delicious both ways! This is now in our regular rotation!
Awesome, Amber. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
The tahini pasta is sooo good, it’s one of my favorite pasta salad recipes ever. The lemon zest adds such a good flavor, and it tastes so fresh. I omit the beans and add wilted spinach.
Sydney, So glad to hear you loved this recipe!
I hope you know you are AMAZING. I have only tried the tahini & greens + the sesame-ginger but MAN they are SO GOOD !!! especially the sauces & i am so grateful for how wholesome all of your recipes are <3
Sue, thanks for the kind review! We are so happy you love the recipes!
All look terrific. Can you sub peanut butter instead of almond butter? Or does it not taste as good?
I’m sure it will change the taste but I’m alss sure it will be delicious!
Hi Deb! Peanut butter will taste delicious as well :) Just make sure to use an unsweetened peanut butter or if it’s sweetened, omit some or all of the agave/maple syrup!
IS THERE A SUBSTUTE FOR SOY BEANS?
Hi Sandy, you can omit the soy beans or swap out chickpeas or lentils for the edamame and I’m sure it would taste just fine!
YUM! Just finished making your Tahini and Greens pasta and it tastes delicious! I’m waiting for the toasted pine nuts to cool to enjoy a late Saturday night dinner.
I have never had a pasta salad with a lemon tahini dressing, but I LOVE all things lemon, basil, dill, and parsley….and the combination is so tasty.
I appreciate the work and ingenuity you put into your recipes, this website, and your YouTube channel, and how you infuse it all with your sense of humor!
Thank you!
Jamie, So glad to hear you loved this recipe! Thanks for being an avid viewer/reader :)
I made this recipe today for the first time – loved it! I will definitely make this again – delicious!
Oh my goodness the sesame ginger noodle dish is OUTRAGEOUS. I have been putting that sauce on everything. Noodles, spring rolls, soup, curry, even toast lol. So good!
Attempting to make the the lemon tahini sauce the ingredients don’t ask for maple syrup but the directions do!! Please help!
Hi Sonia! The maple syrup shouldn’t be in there – I’ve just updated it. But if your tahini is quite bitter, a tiny splash of maple syrup can be helpful to balance the bitterness.
I LOVE the sesame ginger almond recipe. It was SO good!!
I love the green And tahini pasta! I made it for a family barbecue, and there were no leftovers! What a cool pasta idea! Thanks Nisha!