Learn how to make homemade farfalle pasta from scratch with fresh egg pasta dough, simple shaping instructions, and my best tips for perfect little bow ties.
Why I love it
Homemade farfalle is one of our kids’ favorite types of pasta to make. They love getting out the pasta roller and sending sheets of silky egg dough through it, but the best part is shaping: cutting the dough into little rectangles, pinching the centers, and watching them transform into the cutest little butterflies.
Farfalle is also surprisingly simple to make. All you need is fresh egg pasta dough, a pasta roller, and a knife or pasta wheel. Once you get the folding motion down, you can crank out a batch so quickly!
If you’re looking for more homemade pasta recipes, try my garganelli, ricotta ravioli, or meat tortellini. Making pasta from scratch is one of my favorite ways to slow down and enjoy being in the kitchen, and I hope you discover what a treat it can be, too!
How to make farfalle
Recipe tips
Pinch the centers well. These little bowties can unfold while cooking if the center isn’t firmly sealed.
Add a little water if needed. If the dough has dried out and won’t stick, lightly mist or dab it with water before pinching.
Keep unused dough covered. Pasta sheets dry out quickly, so cover anything you aren’t actively shaping.
Use any edge you like. A fluted pasta wheel gives you the classic ruffled look, but a straight cutter works just as well.
Play with the size. I like rectangles about 1 ¼ x 1 ¾ inches, but you can make your butterflies smaller or larger depending on the look you want.
PrintHow to Make Farfalle (Italian Bow Tie Pasta)
Learn how to make homemade farfalle pasta from scratch with fresh egg pasta dough, simple shaping instructions, and tips for perfect little butterflies.
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 4
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Handmade
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 lb egg pasta dough
- all-purpose flour, for rolling
- semolina flour, for dusting
special equipment
- pasta roller or rolling pin
Instructions
- Cut the dough into 4 pieces and work with one at a time, keeping the rest covered with plastic wrap to prevent drying.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the pasta dough into a thin sheet, about 1/16 inch thick. If using a pasta roller, start on the widest setting and gradually roll it thinner, stopping at setting 6 on the Kitchen Aid attachment.
- Dust a baking sheet with semolina flour. Use a sharp knife or straight edged- pasta wheel to cut the sheet into 1 ¼” strips. Use a fluted pasta wheel to cut those strips into 1 ¾” rectangles.
- Pick up the rectangle along the long edges. To create a pleated center, fold the piece in half so the edges point away from you, then fold them back toward you, forming three even pleats. Pinch firmly at the center to seal the shape. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet to prevent sticking.
- Refrigerate for up to 8 hours, loosely covered. Alternatively, freeze for 1 hour until firm and transfer to a freezer bag to store for up to 2 months.
- Cook in a large pot of salted boiling water for 2- 3 minutes, until tender but al dente. Sauce and serve as desired.
Notes
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 398
- Sugar: 0.6g
- Sodium: 436mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 3.6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6.6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 51g
- Fiber: 1.8g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 418mg
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