You know the expression “if it ain’t broke, don’t break it”? Some people live by that motto and some believe if you can make something even better, it’s worth trying.
The same philosophy can apply to recipes. I’m going out on a limb a bit to say that taking a really good creamy pesto sauce and tossing it with hot bow tie pasta and creamy burrata will have you believing it’s ok to break the unbroken.
Pasta is forgiving like that. And so is pesto.
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The perfect pasta shape
Bow tie pasta has a lot going for it. It’s cute, dressy and sassy thanks to that pinking sheared edge. And it’s a complex dried pasta shape because it has:
- two names! Sometimes you’ll see it referred to as farfalle, which means butterfly in Italian. Butterfly or bow tie…either way they’ll make you smile!
- lots of folds perfect for a clingy pasta sauce like a fresh pesto.
PRO PASTA TIP
My favorite bow tie pasta is from Barilla because it consistently cooks up perfectly al dente (translated to the tooth).
-Josie + Nina
More recipes for bow tie pasta
Pesto: the best spring and summer pasta sauce
Pesto sauce is one of the best homemade pasta sauces because it can be made in less than 5 minutes. Harvest all that summer basil you’ve grown, make pesto sauce and freeze it in small portions to enjoy all winter long (I’ve got many great tips on how to freeze pesto too😊)!
TIP
Roast lots of extra garlic and refrigerate the cloves covered in olive oil in a sealed jar for approximately 2 weeks.
-Josie + Nina
Pesto is a pasta sauce made by blending basil, nuts, parmesan cheese and olive oil together. In Italian, pesto means “to pound,” which refers to the technique used to make it.
Ingredient rundown
In under 20 minutes and a few simple ingredients and you’ll have a quick pasta recipe that’ll become part of your weekday meal rotation.
What is burrata cheese?
Burrata is actually 2 cheeses in one. The outside is firm fresh mozzarella and the inside is fresh mozzarella cheese curds and rich cream. When you break into a ball of burrata, you better have a piece of bread or crostini to scoop up the creamy center.
Step by step directions for creamy bow tie pasta
Bow tie pasta substitutes
Don’t have bow tie pasta?
Here are some other pasta shapes that make great substitutes for bow tie pasta:
- Cavatappi or rigatoni
- Cellentani or small shells
- Store bought or easy potato gnocchi
- Tortellini
Storage Suggestions
Make ahead and storage tips
- Pesto prep. Make the pesto and store in a sealed, airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the pesto to help avoid the pesto darkening from being exposed to the air.
- Toss with cooked pasta when ready to serve!
Freeze
Pesto can be frozen either in smaller containers (love these 1/2 cup Souper Cubes for pesto!) or ice cube trays for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
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Creamy Bow Tie Pasta with Burrata
Equipment
Ingredients
For the pesto
- 2 cups of basil leaves, stems removed
- 1-2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 3 Tablespoons pistachio meats, I buy them toasted from Trader Joe's
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 2-3 T softened butter
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
For the Pasta
- ½ lb bow tie pasta, I like Barilla
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
- 1 ball burrata cheese, can be found at Trader Joe's
- 1 lemon, zested
Instructions
- Place the basil, salt, pepper, whole cloves of garlic and pistachios in the medium sized bowl of a food processor or mini prep. Pulse about 5-7 times to chop the basil and garlic. Then, turn the machine on and pour the oil in slowly through the feed tube at the top. Stop when you have a thick sauce, about 30 seconds or so.2 cups of basil leaves, 1-2 teaspoons kosher salt, 2 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 3 Tablespoons pistachio meats, ⅓ cup olive oil
- Remove the pesto to a medium bowl and add in butter and parmesan cheese. Use a bar muddler to press the cheese and butter into the pesto. This should be really easy especially if the butter is softened as noted above.2-3 T softened butter, ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- After cooking pasta, reserve 1 cup of pasta water to use to thin out the pesto. Drain pasta in a colander.Toss pasta with pesto and add to a warmed bowl (you can use pasta water to warm the bowl or place bowl over hot pan if still warm from cooking pasta).
- Place ball of burrata in the center of the bow tie pesto pasta.
- 2 serving ideas: 1) Cut into it and spread out with the pesto tossing it together until it's all nice and creamy.2) Keep the burrata intact and let each person scoop off what they'd like when they serve themselves.
Notes
- Make the pesto and store in a sealed, airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the pesto to help avoid the pesto darkening from being exposed to the air.
- Toss with cooked pasta when ready to serve!
- Refrigerate in an airtight container with a lid for up to 4 days.
- Pesto can be frozen either in smaller containers (love these 1/2 cup Souper Cubes for pesto!) or ice cube trays for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
- Defrost in the fridge or at room temperature and stir to blend before using.
