Flour and water are all you need to make traditional farfalle (or bow ties) at home. Make sure to use a durum wheat semolina, a very refined flour (usually imported directly from Italy) or your pasta won't stay firm and "al dente" during the cooking process.
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups durum wheat semolina flour , such as Bob's Red Mill®
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 cup water , or as needed, at room temperature
Instructions
-
1
Mix flour and salt in a large bowl or on a marble work surface. Make a well in the center.
-
2
Pour water into the well a little at a time, mixing it with the flour. Add as much water as needed to make a sticky but compact dough.
-
3
Knead dough with your hands by flattening the ball, stretching it, and folding the top towards the center. Turn 45 degrees and repeat until dough is elastic and smooth, but not too soft, about 10 minutes.
-
4
Shape dough into a ball. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes before using.
-
5
Cut off 1/3 of the dough. Wrap the remaining dough in plastic wrap to keep it from drying out. Flatten dough with your hands and pass through the largest setting of your pasta machine. Fold in half, rub with more flour, and pass through the pasta machine again.
-
6
Keep passing though the machine until you reach an even rectangular sheet of smooth, not sticky, consistency.
-
7
Pass the dough through the middle setting of your machine and then through the second-to-last to make a long and thin sheet. Trim the sheet into an even rectangle and rub with more flour.
-
8
Trim off the short edge of the rectangle with a decorative ravioli wheel cutter. Trim the rectangle into strips, about 3/4 inch wide, with a flat ravioli wheel cutter. Section the strips into 1 1/3-inch large pieces with the decorative cutter.
-
9
Push the sides of each piece towards the centre to form a bow tie and secure with a little dab of water.
-
10
Proceed the same way with the rest of the dough. Transfer the farfalle to a floured surface and sprinkle with more semolina flour. Do not overlap or they will stick. Let dry for about 30 minutes before cooking.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving
Want to cook this?
Open in the PantryLink app to scale servings, check your pantry stock, and generate a shopping list.
Sign In to Save Recipe Create Free AccountSuggest an Edit
Help improve this recipe's categorization, image, or dietary info. Earn points and badges!
Suggest Changes in AppPrefer a printed copy? Use our print-friendly view with adjustable servings and font size.
Open Print ViewMore Italian Recipes
Rainbow Rotini Salad
This rotini pasta salad is a standard for potlucks. This recipe makes a nice big salad that tastes great!
Hearty Chicken Vegetable Soup I
This thick and hearty chicken soup makes a great meal on those cold winter days. Try different types of pasta like bow ties, elbow macaroni, shells, rotini, spiral etc. This soup can not be beat when served with fresh thick sliced bread on the side!!
Amatriciana
This is a classic Italian pasta dish. Use fresh basil when it's in season; at other times, use fresh flat-leaf parsley.