Small bowtie shaped pasta with either straight or frill edges that has been firmly pinched in the middle to form adorable butterfly or bow silhouette. Both dried and fresh pasta contains egg, so farfalle tastes the same as other pasta noodles.
The different shape fits well with certain sauces including dry, creamy, and chunky. As a result, farfalle looks appealing, and is quick and easy to prepare with loads of sides.
What to eat with farfalle? Farfalle is typically served as a pasta salad with a light sauce and meat, seafood, or fish. Similar to other pasta dishes, farfalle is eaten with easy-melting cheese and wine depending on the sauce type.
From fresh salad to roasted vegetables, nuts, and herbs, there are variety of ingredients to serve with farfalle as a main entrée or side dish.
If you are looking for an easy weeknight meal, try farfalle. This butterfly shaped noodle is a creamy crowd-pleaser that comes together in minutes whether it is added to a salad or served in pasta sauce.
Most people serve farfalle as a side dishes, but the noodle shape is quite versatile and pairs perfectly with an array of textures and flavor profiles. This article focuses on what to eat with bowtie pasta.
How is farfalle traditionally served?
Farfalle is served as pasta salad or in creamy, tomato, seafood, and from time to time, heavy meat sauces.
However, farfalle is typically served with creamy sauces or cold dishes like pasta salad with diced vegetables like tomato, cucumber, olives, feta cheese or fresh mozzarella.
It also can be served with fresh or smoked salmon as well as variety of seafood. Be aware that this type of pasta noodle is all about keeping its shape, consider butter or oil based sauces regardless of meat or seafood add-ins.
What to serve with farfalle?
Typically, breadsticks and green salads are classic sides to serve with farfalle. Because the pasta is subtle and has mild flavor with butter or olive oil based sauces, there are many ingredients that pair well with farfalle.
- Fruits: mandarin oranges, grapes, honeydew melon, pineapple, kiwi, apple, figs, pears, lemon
- Vegetables: broccolini, green beans, zucchini, potatoes, artichoke hearts, fennel, asparagus, peas, leek, kale, spinach, arugula
- Legumes: lima beans, cannellini beans, white beans
- Meat: ground beef, short ribs, beef tenderloin, flap steak
- Cured meat: prosciutto, bacon
- Seafood: shrimp, crab, prawns
- Fish: salmon, tuna, sea bass
- Nuts: pine nuts, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachio, walnuts
- Herbs: sage, dill, basil, mint, tarragon
- Spices: star anise, black and red pepper
- Bread: breadstick, garlic bread
Which sauce goes with farfalle?
Tomato sauces are the preferred pasta sauces since they cling perfectly to farfalle noodles. These little bow-ties or butterflies have a large surface area making it easy for sauce to soak in quickly.
The classic sauces that chefs recommend for farfalle include:
- brown butter
- garlic olive oil
- cream
- tomato
- pesto
What cheese goes with farfalle?
Farfalle pasta is such a fun shape to add to a variety of dishes, and combining it with cheese makes it even more flavorful.
What wine to pair with farfalle?
Pasta pairs wonderfully with a glass of wine. No matter how farfalle is served as a pasta or salad, it also goes beautifully with red and white wine.
Red wine offers earthy and rich flavors, while white wine creates refreshing and fruity aftertaste when served with farfalle pasta.
Depending on the sauce, the wine pairing may vary. Here are the best wine pairings with farfalle for you to review:
- Creamy sauce: Chardonnay, Riesling
- Light or olive oil based: Agelio e Olio, Sauvignon Blanc
- Marinara or tomato-based: Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Sicilian red
- Meat-based sauce: Sangiovese, Rosso di Montalcino, Barbera
- Seafood-based: Pinot Grigio, Muscadet
- Pesto sauce: Vermentino, Gavi, Friuli Sauvignon Blanc
Merlot wine is the go-to for those who love keeping things smooth and sweet.
To add that earthy, rich flavor to farfalle, try having it with Pinot Noir. The deepness of its tones makes it a classic addition to farfalle.
When using rich, warm, creamy sauces on farfalle, pair with Riesling. This light red wine doesn’t stand up to rich dishes, but its peach and pear notes will sure pair well with the dish.
Serve farfalle with Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel wines for a bitter and acidic touch with spicy undertones. These wines feature a spiced, warm flavor similar to cedar, vanilla, coffee, and blackcurrant.
Eat with Farfalle: Conclusion
Farfalle is a classic pasta dish and can be paired with anything since it’s very versatile. From fresh salad to pasta sauces, farfalle can be transformed by many wonderful recipes.
Depend on the dish, adding sides such as roasted vegetables, light butter or oil based sauce, legumes, fish or seafood, there are many to consider when preparing dish with farfalle.
Most people pair it with meat and green vegetable sides, but there’s more to farfalle than that. With the right cheese and wine, one can enhance the flavor even more in-depth based on the sauce selection both may vary.
When serving oil based sauces, go with Sauvignon Blanc or Agelio e Olio. If paired with tomato-based sauce, choosing Montepulciano d’Abruzzo or Sicilian red can’t go wrong.
As a result, choose the wine based on the sauce and meat selection of the final dish.
Whether you are serving a fresh salad or pasta dish with farfalle, think outside of the box and use these recommended ingredients to explore what flavor combinations your tastebuds enjoy the msot.