Broccoli Cauliflower Pasta with Tahini Sauce

The broccoli and cauliflowers florets in this dish are like sassy, saucy, miniature trees. They bring the flavor, the funk, and the personality to the party. If you’re looking for a pasta with pizzazz, you’ve come to the right spot. This one’s full of delicious vegetables, flavors, and texture with tahini warmth, smooth penne, and crunchy walnuts all in one bite. This dish tastes like eating a piece of the earth—it’s grounding, comforting, planetary goodness.

Brocolli Cauliflower Pasta with Tahini Sauce is easy to make and good for throwing together something healthy when you have limited time. We make this one when we’re tired after work and it always helps us recharge and re-center around home.

If you celebrate the joy of saucy broccoli and cauliflower, leave a comment, rate the recipe, and tag a photo with #plantandvine on Instagram.

Broccoli Cauliflower Pasta and Wine

Wine pairings complement this broccoli cauliflower pasta by adding some crisp acidity into the earthy, grounded flavor profile. The acidity of Chablis and Chardonnay help to clean and wake up your tongue in between bites so you can be comforted again and again by the nutty goodness of this dish.

• Chablis – Chardonnay from Chablis, a region in Burgundy, France. Crisp citrus and pear flavors, with a distinct minerality. Traditionally not aged in oak, so it lacks the buttery aspect of some Chardonnays.
• Italian Pinot Grigio – Lemon, lime, green apple. Dry with bright acidity. Bitter almond taste to round out this dish.
  • Suggested Regions: Trentino Alto-Adige, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, or Lombardy
• Pinot Noir – Earthy, fruity red wine to complement the nutty creaminess of this broccoli cauliflower pasta. Pinot Noir is one of the fussiest, most temperamental grapes and, as a result, produces some delicate and moody reds.
  • Suggested Regions: Willamette Valley, Oregon, Central Otago, New Zealand, or Chile.

Broccoli Cauliflower Pasta with Tahini Sauce

★★★★★

4.5 from 2 reviews

An easy weeknight meal. This pasta dish is creamy and comforting because of its cumin tahini sauce.

• Author: Plant & Vine
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 5 servings
• Category: Pasta, Vegan, Main
• Method: Roast
• Cuisine: American, Italian

Ingredients

Cumin Tahini Sauce* (if you want saucier pasta, double this)

• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (1-2 regular lemons)
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Broccoli Cauliflower Pasta

• One head of cauliflower, chopped into small florets
• One head of broccoli, chopped into small florets
• 8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 12 ounces of pasta (Penne used here but any type will work)
• 1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup parsley, minced

Instructions

1. Create cumin tahini sauce by combining all the ingredients in a small food processor (or whisk together vigorously in a bowl if needed). This sauce can easily be adjusted for thickness by adding tahini, thinness by adding water, heat by adding cayenne pepper, and richness by adding cumin.
2. Preheat the oven to 425F. Toss the cauliflower, broccoli, and garlic with the olive oil in a bowl, and salt and pepper to taste, until vegetables are evenly coated in oil. Transfer to baking sheet and bake in the oven until the cauliflower and broccoli begins to brown, about 20 – 30 minutes. Toss halfway through cooking.
3. While vegetables are roasting, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente.
4. While pasta is cooking, toast the walnuts in a small dry skillet over medium high heat until golden brown and fragrant (about 5 minutes). Shake the pan a few times while toasting to make sure different sides of walnuts are exposed to heat.
5. To plate, toss the pasta with the cauliflower and broccoli. Drizzle in the cumin tahini sauce and continue to toss until the pasta and vegetables are evenly coated. Divide between bowls and top with the toasted walnuts and parsley.
6. Best when fresh. Keeps in covered container in refrigerator up to 4 days.

Notes

*Recipe is a guide. Adapt ingredients and measurements as desired. Adapted from Dishing Up the Dirt’s Roasted Cauliflower Garlic Pasta with Lemon Tahini Sauce

Keywords: roasted broccoli, tahini pasta, creamy pasta, roasted broccoli and cauliflower, vegan pasta