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    Bow Tie Pasta Recipe

    August 19, 2024

    A homemade garlicky, basil-scented tomato cream sauce is the perfect partner for bow tie pasta.

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    bow tie pasta made with tomatoes, basil, cream, spinach, sun dried tomatoes and topped with parmesan
    Photography by Gayle McLeod

    A Quick & Creamy Bow Tie Pasta Recipe

    Called ‘farfalle’ in Italian — which actually means butterfly, not bow tie — most of us call this kid-friendly pasta shape bow tie pasta. Fun to stab with a fork, and easy for little hands to pick up, our fast, creamy bow tie pasta recipe with fresh garlic and fragrant basil is an easy weeknight win. Like so many of our go-to quick pasta recipes — like our favorite Fusilli Pasta With Spicy Tomato Sauce, lovely Linguine With Lemon-Garlic Sauce, and our hearty Baked Rigatoni — this quick pasta comes together fast, but tastes rich and delicious.

    pasta, basil, canned tomatoes, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, spices, cream and Parmesan in prep bowls

    Bow Tie Pasta Ingredients

    • Bow tie pasta

    • Canned crushed tomatoes

    • Heavy cream

    • Salt

    • Italian seasoning

    • Fresh basil

    • Extra-virgin olive oil

    • Fresh garlic

    • Spinach

    • Sun dried tomatoes

    garlic cooking in olive oil in a pot
    garlic, olive oil, tomatoes, salt, Italian seasoning, and basil leaves being cooked in a pot
    bow tie pasta noodles being cooked in salted water
    cream, sun-dried tomatoes & heavy cream being added to a pot with garlic, olive oil, tomatoes, spices & basil leaves

    How To Make Bow Tie Pasta

    1. Make the bow tie pasta sauce. Warm the olive oil and garlic in a pan. When you can smell the garlic, pour in the tomatoes, salt, Italian seasoning, and fresh basil. Simmer gently for about 30 minutes.

    2. Cook the bow ties. Boil a large pot of salted water, and add the bow ties. Follow the instructions on the box but start checking for doneness a minute before the shortest cook time.

    3. Before you strain the bow ties, save one cup of pasta cooking water. A Pyrex liquid measure is very helpful here — scoop the water you want to save, then strain the pasta.

    4. Finish the sauce while the bow ties cook. Remove the basil, stir in heavy cream, spinach, and sundried tomatoes.

    5. Stir in the bow tie noodles along with half of the pasta water.

    6. Serve! To make a feast out of it, serve along with Broccolini, a big Italian Salad, and rich, buttery Garlic Bread on the side.

    bow tie pasta being tossed in sauce made with tomatoes, basil, cream, spinach, sun dried tomatoes and topped with parmesan
    bow tie pasta made with tomatoes, basil, cream, spinach, sun dried tomatoes and topped with parmesan

    How To Store Leftover Pasta + Tips

    • Leftover bow tie pasta will keep in an airtight container in in the fridge for up to 3 days, and — bonus — makes a great lunch. We don’t recommend freezing it.

    • How long to cook bow tie pasta: Our go-to trick for making sure that we don’t accidentally over-cook pasta is to check for doneness one minute before the shortest cook time listed on the box. That’ll usually ensure that our bow ties are perfectly al dente.

    • When you drain the bow tie pasta, don’t forget to save that pasta water! At least a cup, and maybe more! When you’re tossing the bow ties with the creamy sauce, if the sauce seems a little too thick, use a little pasta water to thin it out. Pasta water is better than regular water because it’s starchy and salty.

    • Don’t want the creamy sauce? Try bow tie pasta with our dairy-free homemade tomato sauce.

    a pot of bow tie pasta made with tomatoes, basil, cream, spinach, sun dried tomatoes and topped with parmesan

    More Quick & Easy Pasta Recipes

    A Weeknight Farfalle Win!

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    Bow Tie Pasta Recipe

    Updated on August 19, 2024

    • Serves:  6
    • Prep Time:  15 min
    • Cook Time:  35 min
    • Calories:  340
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    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
    • 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
    • 8 to 10 fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving
    • ½ cup heavy cream
    • 12 ounces bow tie pasta
    • 2 cups baby spinach
    • ½ cup thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes
    • Freshly grated parmesan cheese, for serving

    Method

    1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes, salt, Italian seasoning, and basil leaves.

      garlic cooking in olive oil in a pot

    2. Increase the heat to medium high and bring the sauce to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 20-30 minutes.

      garlic, olive oil, tomatoes, salt, Italian seasoning, and basil leaves being cooked in a pot

    3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, according to the package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain.

      bow tie pasta noodles being cooked in salted water

    4. Remove the basil leaves from the sauce, then stir in the heavy cream, spinach, and sundried tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until the spinach has wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the drained pasta and ½ cup reserved pasta water and toss to combine. If the sauce is too thick, stir in more of the reserved pasta cooking water.

      cream, sun-dried tomatoes & heavy cream being added to a pot with garlic, olive oil, tomatoes, spices & basil leaves

    5. Serve the pasta topped with fresh basil and parmesan cheese.

      bow tie pasta made with tomatoes, basil, cream, spinach, sun dried tomatoes and topped with parmesan

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories 340
    • Protein 9 g
    • Carbohydrates 51 g
    • Total Fat 12 g
    • Dietary Fiber 4 g
    • Cholesterol 27 mg
    • sodium 212 mg
    • Total Sugars 7 g

    Bow Tie Pasta Recipe

    Questions & Reviews

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    • Jenn

      This just made the weekly rotation. It has so many of my favorite things in it (basil, parm, and sun-dried tomatoes) and was very simple. Restaurant Quality at home!

      Thank you Jenn, glad you loved it!

    • Cressida

      Fabulous

      Thanks Cressida!