Hit the Easy Button for Dinner with 30-Minute Bow Tie Pasta
Who doesn't love pasta for dinner? It's fast, easy, and pleases almost everyone in the family. But when it's made in one pot, it pleases the home cook even more. Less mess, less dishes, and less cleanup—who's in?! This bow tie pasta recipe covers all those bases, plus it's delicious. With Italian sausage, broccoli, a creamy sauce, and plenty of parmesan cheese, it's one of the best weeknight 30-minute meals that you could bring to the table. Put your saved time toward some cheesy garlic bread and a fresh salad to round out dinner!
What do you need to make bow tie pasta?
This easy weeknight recipe uses several ingredients you likely already have in your pantry or fridge. There's pasta, chicken broth, heavy cream, garlic, lemon, and spices. You'll also need some Italian sausage, sun-dried tomatoes, and broccoli. Rest assured, it comes together in a snap and is loved by folks of all ages.
What's special about sun-dried tomatoes?
Sun-dried tomatoes have a bright, super concentrated tomato taste that's a little sweet, a little tart, and much tangier than regular tomatoes. They add a big punch of flavor to this pasta dish!
What is a julienne chop?
To julienne something means to slice it into long, thin strips, like matchsticks! In this recipe, the sun-dried tomatoes are julienned. You can buy them already sliced that way from most grocery stores, but if yours aren't already julienned, it's plenty easy to do yourself. And don't worry—they don't have to be perfect! As long as they're sliced into thin, bite-size pieces, they'll work just fine.
What is bow tie pasta called?
You may also find bow tie pasta packaged and labelled as "farfalle." This is the Italian word for "butterfly," which inspired the shape of the pasta.
When is it best to use farfalle pasta?
Farfalle pasta is extremely versatile and can be used in a variety of pasta dishes, salads, and soups. It is excellent boiled and sauced with a simple marinara or ground meat spaghetti sauce. Its shape catches all the goodness of the herbs, veggies, and cheese in pasta salad. And it's the perfect bite-sized addition to an Italian-style soup like pasta fagioli.
What is a good substitute for farfalle pasta?
Short, bite-sized pastas such as shells, orecchiette, mini penne, or mezzi ("half") rigatoni all make excellent substitutes for farfalle or bow tie pasta.
How do you cook farfalle pasta?
Farfalle pasta can be simply boiled and sauced, like in spaghetti and meatballs, or can even be cooked and then baked into baked ziti! For this recipe, bow tie pasta is cooked using the one-pot method. Start by browning sausage in a large pot. Once browned, remove it from the pot and reserve it on a plate. Add garlic and cook briefly to season the remaining cooking oil. Then, add the pasta, chicken broth, water, salt, pepper and oregano all at once, to make a flavorful cooking liquid. Stir the pasta occasionally while it simmers in this liquid. The moisture and steam will cook the pasta, while the starch that release from the bowties will thicken the sauce. No need to boil noodles in a separate pot!
Yields: 4-6 servings
Prep Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 30 mins
Ingredients
2 tbsp.
olive oil
1 lb.
mild Italian pork sausage, casing removed
3
cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb.
bow tie pasta
3 c.
chicken broth
1 tsp.
dried oregano
1 tsp.
salt
1/2 tsp.
ground black pepper
4 c.
small broccoli florets (from 1 (8-oz.) head of broccoli)
1/2 c.
julienned sun-dried tomatoes, drained of oil
1/3 c.
heavy cream
1/2 c.
grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
2 tbsp.
fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
Red chili flakes, for serving (optional)
Directions
Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the oil and sausage. Cook, breaking the sausage into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until it is golden brown and no longer pink, about 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the sausage to a plate and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute.
Add the pasta, broth, 2 cups of water, oregano, salt, and pepper to the pot, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium or medium-low to keep it simmering for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
Stir in the broccoli. Cover the pot and let cook until the pasta and broccoli are just tender, about 5 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Uncover the pot. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, heavy cream, and reserved sausage. Cook until heated through, about 1 minute.
Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan and lemon juice. Serve topped with more parmesan and red chili flakes, if you like.
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