Tomato Basil Bowtie Pasta (Printable)

Silky tomato basil sauce coats tender bowtie pasta in this vibrant, creamy Italian comfort dish ready in just 30 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz bowtie (farfalle) pasta

→ Sauce

02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
05 - 14 oz canned crushed tomatoes
06 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
07 - ½ cup heavy cream
08 - 1 teaspoon sugar
09 - ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
10 - 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta water
11 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper

→ Fresh Herbs & Cheese

12 - ½ cup fresh basil leaves, sliced
13 - ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

# How-To Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the bowtie pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve ¼ cup of pasta water, then drain pasta.
02 - While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes until soft. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Simmer for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
04 - Lower the heat and stir in the heavy cream. Simmer for 2 minutes until the sauce is creamy and slightly thickened.
05 - Add the cooked pasta to the sauce along with reserved pasta water. Toss to combine thoroughly.
06 - Stir in the fresh basil and Parmesan cheese. Cook for 1-2 minutes to meld flavors. Adjust seasoning to taste.
07 - Serve hot, topped with extra Parmesan cheese and fresh basil if desired.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent an hour on it but you'll be eating in thirty minutes.
  • The cream tames the tomatoes without making it heavy, and the basil keeps it bright.
  • Bowties hold the sauce in every fold, so each bite is perfectly coated.
  • You probably have most of these ingredients already, and if you don't, they're worth keeping around.
02 -
  • Don't dump the pasta water down the sink before you remember to save some, I've done it twice and had to add plain water which doesn't work the same.
  • If you add the cream while the heat is too high, it can break and look curdled, so turn it down first and stir gently.
  • Fresh basil goes in at the end, if you cook it too long it turns black and bitter and loses all that bright flavor.
03 -
  • Grate the Parmesan right before you use it, it melts smoother and tastes sharper than the pre-shredded kind.
  • If the sauce looks too thick, add pasta water a tablespoon at a time, it loosens everything without watering down the flavor.
  • Taste the sauce before you add the pasta, it should be slightly over-seasoned because the pasta will dilute it a bit.
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