Step 1

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente.

Step 2

Meanwhile, heat a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the onions and season with a pinch of kosher salt. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned around the edges. Add the garlic and thyme, and stir to combine for 1 minute, until fragrant.

Step 3

While the onions are cooking, pour the vegetable broth (or water) into a measuring cup or bowl and add in the tamari or soy sauce and flour. Whisk to combine until all the flour is dissolved.

Step 4

Pour the vegetable broth-flour mixture into the onion-garlic mixture and whisk to combine, ensuring there are no flour clumps. It should thicken almost immediately. Reduce the heat to medium-low and pour in the coconut milk or oat milk, tahini, nutritional yeast, paprika, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and black pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened and very creamy, whisking occasionally.NOTE: if you double the recipe, you’ll probably want to cook it closer to 10 minutes.

Step 5

Stir in the Dijon mustard, and taste for seasonings, adding more salt as needed. Add the hot cooked pasta directly into the sauce and toss to coat until all the pasta is coated.