Farfalle Pasta
Farfalle pasta, or butterfly or bow tie pasta in English, is a uniquely shaped Italian pasta that is loved the world over. Make this farfalle pasta recipe to try the most simple and delicious way to enjoy it!
Farfalle pasta used to be one of my Nonno Scipione’s favorite pasta shapes. (You can click to read about my precious Nonno.)
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What are Farfalle?
Farfalle are simply pasta that has been shaped to look like butterflies or bow ties. Apparently, they were first created in Northern Italy (Lombardy and Emiglia-Romagna) to use leftover pasta dough. Farfalle are called “strichetti” (stree-kay-teeh) in this region, according to Wikipedia.
Farfalle Pasta Pronunciation
It’s easy to say farfalle: “far-FAH-lay” which is plural. Singular is farfalla, “far-FAH-lah.” Larger shaped farfalle are called farfalloni, and smaller shaped bow tie pasta are called farfalline, which means “little butterflies.”
I used these farfalloni to make this 4 ingredient rapini pasta.
Farfalle pasta recipes can be made using many different sauces, but I prefer light, creamy sauces if I’m not making this authentic, quick Italian pasta sauce. It also lends itself well to cold pasta salad recipes. *See my personal note below, just before the printable recipe card.
Farfalle Pasta Recipe
Family recipe serves 5
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
Ingredients
- farfalle pasta
- extra virgin olive oil
- fresh garlic
- whole tomatoes (in jar or can, from Italy, preferably)
- sea salt or Diamond crystal Kosher salt
- fresh basil
Directions
Cook the Farfalle Pasta
Put a large pot of salted water on the cooktop and bring to a rolling boil. Add pasta and cook as directed on the package.
Make the Sauce
Pour the oil into a large sauté pan over medium high heat.
Crush the garlic and add it to the oil. Sauté the garlic until it just starts to brown, then add the chopped parsley. You can add the parsley stems, but remove them later. Turn the heat up so the pan is very hot.
If you prefer a smooth sauce, use an immersion blender or blender to purée the tomatoes before adding them to the pan.
Add the tomatoes and be ready with the lid as it may squirt before it starts to simmer. Stir quickly, and keep it simmering briskly with the lid removed. Add salt and stir often. This sauce will most likely be ready before the pasta has finished cooking.
When the sauce has thickened, taste for salt and pepper and add torn fresh basil leaves and remove from the heat.
Serve the Farfalle Pasta
When the pasta is almost al dente, drain it by either saving a mug of pasta water and using a colander, or by scooping it out with a pasta skimmer. and placing directly into the sauce in the pan. Toss together until the pasta is well coated in the tomato sauce, adding some of the reserved pasta water if it’s too dry.
You can put the pan over the heat and add more water to finish cooking the pasta if it’s still too al dente. This ensures the flavor of the sauce goes into the pasta.
Dish into bowls to serve immediately.
In Italy, grated cheese isn’t normally added to a fresh pasta sauce.
However, I see no harm in adding a little sprinkle, along with a sprig of basil.
My only caveat is that it has to be a really good quality cheese like Parmigiano Reggiano, DOP or Pecorino Romano, DOP.
This bow tie pasta recipe is one you can make with any shape of pasta. You can freeze the sauce, or keep a bowl on hand in the fridge for up to 3 days (since there’s no meat in it.)
Have I enticed you to try this recipe? Buon appetito!
*When I was newly married and working as a social worker, but husband managed to get me a small catering job at a studio in Hollywood. He told the producer that the food provided by the catering company they’d hired was awful and that I could do a much better job, so they hired me! I remember making a simple farfalle pasta salad as one of the dishes. I received the most beautiful thank you note after catering that job; they loved everything I made!
Farfalle Pasta
Special Equipment
- 1 immersion blender not required
Ingredients
- 1 lb farfalle pasta (100% durum wheat semolina should be the only ingredient)
- 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil good quality, from a single source (like Italy, Greece or Spain)
- 3 cloves fresh garlic (do not use jar, dried or garlic salt)
- 28 oz whole tomatoes (in jar or can, from Italy, preferably)
- 1 ½ tsp sea salt or Diamon crystal Kosher salt
- 5 leaves basil preferably fresh, otherwise use ½ tsp dried basil or frozen basil
Instructions
Cook the Farfalle Pasta
- Put a large pot of salted water on the cooktop and bring to a rolling boil. Add pasta and cook as directed on the package.
Make the Tomato Sauce
- Pour the oil into a large sauté pan over medium high heat.
- Crush the garlic and add it to the oil. Sauté the garlic until it just starts to brown, then add the chopped parsley. You can add the parsley stems, but remove them later. Turn the heat up so the pan is very hot.
- If you prefer a smooth sauce, use an immersion blender or blender to purée the tomatoes before adding them to the pan.
- Add the tomatoes and be ready with the lid as it may squirt before it starts to simmer. Stir quickly, and keep it simmering briskly with the lid removed. Add salt and stir often. This sauce will most likely be ready before the pasta has finished cooking.
- When the sauce has thickened, taste for salt and pepper and add torn fresh basil leaves and remove from the heat.
Serve the Farfalle Pasta
- When the pasta is almost al dente, drain it by either saving a mug of pasta water and using a colander, or by scooping it out with a pasta skimmer. and placing directly into the sauce in the pan. Toss together until the pasta is well coated in the tomato sauce, adding some of the reserved pasta water if it’s too dry.
- You can put the pan over the heat and add more water to finish cooking the pasta if it’s still too al dente. This ensures the flavor of the sauce goes into the pasta.
- Dish into bowls to serve immediately.
- In Italy, grated cheese isn’t normally added to a fresh pasta sauce.
Notes
- Be sure to use 100% durum wheat semolina pasta for best results
- Whole plum tomatoes from Italy or a product like Mutti passata will also yield the best flavor.
- If the sauce doesn’t taste good, it probably needs more salt (or you used inferior quality tomatoes/ingredients.)
- Good quality extra virgin olive oil and salt are important, too.
Nutrition
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I’m a big fan of farfalle. So pretty and it has an appealing mouth feel as well. And like you it’s my go to for light and creamy sauces. Wonderful for smoked salmon, peas and panna.
Excellent I now make it every week and the family Love it. Some like it with Pecorino And some with Reggiano Parmesan. Fresh grated on pasta. They Love the salad of tomatoes cucumber avocado I add red onion also for flavor the use Organic olive oil and Balsamic Vinegar Basil and garlic. Delicious