20-minute Farfalle Pasta With Prosciutto, Broccoli And Ricotta
on May 29, 2023
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This farfalle pasta (AKA bow-tie pasta!) recipe has it all. It’s light and fresh tasting, but it’s also creamy and comforting. You could say it’s like a lighter version of carbonara. It’s particularly perfect in the spring and summer, but I’d eat it any time of year. The best part? It’s on the table in just 20 minutes!
Why you’ll love it
✔ Quick and easy. On the table in just 20 minutes – maybe even 15 once you’ve made it a few times, which makes it perfect for busy weeknights.
✔ Creamy comfort food… on the lighter side! A pasta sauce made with ricotta cheese is a healthier alternative to a traditional creamy sauce made with heavy cream.
✔ Fresh, light and tasty. You’ll love the mild creamy lemon ricotta ‘sauce’, but also the flavorful kick from the tasty prosciutto.
✔ Family-friendly elegance. You could say this is a sophisticated twist on a classic pasta carbonara. This should appeal to even the fussiest eaters. Just call it ham and cheese pasta if it’ll help them to try it!
✔ Looks great! Farfalle’s unique bow-tie (or butterfly!) shape adds charm, fun and visual appeal to the dish.
✔ It’s versatile. Serve it as an easy midweek meal for the family. For date night, or as a simple but tasty meal for guests.
✔ Super healthy veggies! Don’t love or don’t have broccoli? If it’s spring, use asparagus, or if not go for another green vegetable such as green peas instead.
About the ingredients
Pasta: I really like to use farfalle (or bow-tie pasta) for this recipe. Common in Northern Italy, it goes well with creamy sauces, holds its shape well when cooking, and looks great too, don’t you think?
But let’s be honest here, you can use any type of pasta in this recipe – even spaghetti! If the store doesn’t have any farfalle, great substitutes are rotini or fusilli (spiral-shaped pastas), casarecce or gemelli (‘twisted’ shapes) or penne (tube shaped). All of these shapes hold sauces well, just like farfalle!
Broccoli: I find ‘baby broccoli’ or ‘tender stem broccoli’ works particular well. I throw in the broccoli stems as well. Not keen on broccoli? See the list a bit further down for more green veg ideas.
A lemon: Use both the zest and the juice for the best flavor.
Parmesan cheese: I do sometimes buy parmesan ready grated to save time. Just don’t use parmesan that you find in the non-refrigerated section. Pecorino Romano or Grana Padano are great alternatives.
Prosciutto: Prosciutto is very thin slices of Italian dry-cured ham. Its rich, salty, and savory flavor adds beautiful depth to this dish. It’s usually easily found in delis, or supermarket deli or fridge sections.
Alternatively, you can use Jamón Serrano (a Spanish dry-cured ham), some really good quality cooked ham, bacon or pancetta, chopped Italian sausage or even smoked salmon for an interesting but just-as-delicious twist!
Ricotta cheese: I prefer to use ricotta with a tiny bit of texture in this creamy farfalle pasta recipe rather than the types labeled ‘smooth’. Mascarpone cheese could work well, too!
Basil: Grab a fresh bunch, preferably on the day you’re going to make this meal. It complements the other salty and savory flavors perfectly!
How to make it
There are just a few simple steps to making this delicious bow-tie pasta in just one pan (plus a saucepan for cooking the pasta!).
Firstly, prepare all of your fresh ingredients. Wash and chop the greens, grate some parmesan, zest and squeeze the lemon, and rip up the prosciutto and basil.
While the pasta is cooking, stir-fry all of the green vegetables – quickly and on a fairly high heat.
Next, add all of the other ingredients – cooked pasta, ricotta, parmesan, lemon, basil and prosciutto.
Stir well, then loosen up the sauce by adding a little reserved pasta water.
Serve immediately with more fresh basil and parmesan sprinkled on top. Don’t forget to season with pepper.
Helen’s top tips
- Put the ‘butterfly pasta’ on to boil while you’re preparing the vegetables and sauce.
- Use a big frying pan or wok style pan so that you can stir-fry the vegetables and make the whole dish in that one pan.
- Before you drain the pasta, do as the Italians do and scoop out a cup of the starchy cooking water. Stirring just a little of this into the dish will help to bind the sauce and pasta together beautifully.
- Don’t wait to serve this. It’s best served when just made when the sauce is hot, smooth and velvety.
- Don’t add any extra salt until you’ve tasted the sauce. Remember that parmesan and prosciutto already taste quite salty. You may not need to add any at all.
Variations
Mix up the greens: Not a fan of broccoli? You can use any quick-cooking green vegetable in this farfalle pasta recipe:
- asparagus, chopped into pieces
- courgette/zuchhini slices
- frozen peas! (no need to defrost, just stir fry for a minute or two)
- snow peas/mange tout/snap peas
- spinach
- green beans chopped into short lengths – either fresh or frozen
- Go wild and add a mixture of the above!
Also, you can also easily replace the prosciutto with another protein that doesn’t need much (or any) cooking. How about good quality smoked ham, lightly pan-fried chorizo, Spanish Jamón Serrano (similar to prosciutto), or even smoked salmon which of course doesn’t need to be cooked either.
If you have any leftover cooked chicken, steak or pork, these would also make a very delicious bow-tie pasta dish as well.
How to serve
As already mentioned, pasta with a ricotta sauce is one those meals that’s best served immediately. So call everyone to the table 5 minutes before it’s ready!
I think it’s a complete balanced meal in itself, so it doesn’t need anything on the side – apart from a cool, crisp glass of white wine if you like!
Got leftovers? You can reheat them gently in a big frying pan or wok, adding a bit more hot water or milk to loosen up the sauce again. Alternatively, you can eat this cold as a farfalle pasta salad. It’s so yummy that way too since the sauce is just made from ricotta!
Recipe FAQs
Farfalle pasta gets its name from the Italian word for butterflies because it looks like little fluttering butterfly wings.
If you can’t find ricotta or would rather use something else, cottage cheese makes a great replacement. It has a similar creamy, smooth texture and mild flavor. Greek yogurt would work too, as would cream cheese or even goat cheese or a creamy feta, although these all have a tangier flavor than ricotta.
Of course! Try sautéed mushrooms, peppers, or juicy cherry tomatoes. Simply cook these at the same time as the other vegetables. Or you could stir through some sundried tomatoes at the end.
More quick pasta recipes
- In the mood for vegetarian? This casarecce pasta recipe with cherry tomatoes takes literally 12 minutes to make while this creamy (no cream!) pasta and peas takes around 15. They’re the easiest quick pasta dinners ever!
- This creamy pasta with chicken and mushrooms is another 20-minute pasta dinner, and it doesn’t even contain much cream.
- Easy creamy chorizo pasta (A quick and easy ‘pink sauce pasta’, and once again you don’t need as much cream as you might think.)
- If you’ve never made a classic Italian carbonara before, you’ll be amazed how quick, easy and delicious it is (the sauce is made with just eggs – no cream!).
- 15-minute creamy pesto chicken with mushrooms and parmesan (I usually serve this with tagliatelle!)
Or take a look at all my pasta recipes.
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20-minute Farfalle Pasta With Prosciutto, Broccoli And Ricotta
Ingredients
- 4½ ounces pasta, I like bow tie (farfalle) pasta but any is fine
- 7 ounces broccoli, washed and chopped into pieces, including the stems (or use any greens: asparagus, snow peas/mange tout, frozen peas…)
- 1½ ounces prosciutto, torn into pieces (this is cured Italian ham; or use good quality ordinary ham)
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
- 1 lemon, (zest of all of it, juice of half of it)
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 bunch fresh basil
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook your pasta according to the cooking ingredients.4½ ounces pasta
- Meanwhile, pan fry broccoli in a wok or large frying pan for 3 or 4 minutes until lightly browned and slightly tender. Turn off the heat.7 ounces broccoli
- Drain the pasta and reserve some of the water. Add the pasta to the broccoli in the pan along with the prosciutto, ricotta, the lemon zest and juice, and most of the parmesan and basil. Stir well.1 lemon, ½ cup parmesan cheese, ½ cup ricotta cheese, 1 bunch fresh basil
- Add a little of the cooking water you reserved to loosen up the sauce and grind in some black pepper to taste. Then heat and stir for about 30 seconds or until the pasta has warmed through again.freshly ground black pepper
- Serve immediately. Top with the rest of the parmesan and basil.
Totally understand about the lighting issue, Helen. It took me a while to find the right light in my house, though I still move around sometimes depending on the weather.
I love this kind of pasta dish. It’s easy and delicious.
I don’t mind a bit of a learning curve, but the problem is I’m moving around so much at the moment that I’m having to constantly re-learn! Oh, well! So happy that you like the pasta!
I can totally understand your lighting issue! I run back and forth from the kitchen, living room, and guest rooms! My husband just follows me from room to room until I say he can eat whatever I am photographing! Ha! This pasta looks fantastic! I cannot wait to try it!
Really, you’re going to try it? How exciting! My husband has to put up with me bossing him around telling him to get our cutlery and drinks etc. ready while I’m finishing off my photos. One minute I’m telling him he can’t eat yet because I still need to take some pictures and then I’m saying he needs to hurry up because I’ve finished and the meal’s getting cold. Haha, poor thing!
I am so happy asparagus is back in season! In California we can get it year round, but it costs so much I have a hard time justifying it. This pasta sounds just perfect for spring!
Yes, it’s a pretty short season here in the UK so you have to grab it while it lasts. Glad you like the pasta!
Oh jolly ole England, how I love thee! Truly rain or shine, my obsession with all things UK never seems to waver. Your gardens and quaint English houses, ohh, sigh!
Farfalle is my favorite pasta. And I always seem to buy asparagus and then never seem to know what I should do with it, so I just roast it in the oven. I love pasta, but I always like to add a little meat for protein and a veggie to it, so this dish is just perfect.
And the presentation, well, I think your pictures came out perfect =) Ready to devour, even for breakfast right now! Love that fresh basil, mines not doing to good right now, too cold =(
Laura, I can’t wait until I have a little garden, or to be honest even just a tub on a balcony or window ledge, so that I can grow at least some herbs. Basil does seem to be a tough one, though. I’ve bought little plants before and they never seem to do too well, however hard I try.
As for England, for many years I’ve NOT wanted to live here, but I’ve come to realise that ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’ really is true. I’m so glad to be back home now and enjoy those lovely gardens and houses you describe! I hope you get to visit some day (or again if you’ve been already)!
Helen,
I live in Buffalo where they weather may not change as dramatically as your weather from one hour to the next. In Buffalo it can change drastically from day to day. Sunshine one day and a snow blizzard the next. With all the cold and snow in Buffalo I’m always looking for a new dish to make… I mean my wife to make. I’ll pass this one on to her. I love squirting a lemon on salads, pasta, etc. This dish looks great.
Hello, Tom! I’ve been really enjoying your family’s blog. I don’t even have a garden but somehow it’s still really interesting to read. I’m saving up tips for the future at least when I hope I will have a garden! So glad you like the look of this dish and I really hope that you have a go at making it and enjoy it. (well, your wife has a go at making it!)
Maybe I have some British roots because I am also pretty stubborn when it comes to planned outings. I’ll go rain or shine!
Love this gorgeous pasta dish. Those photos make me want to dive right into the middle of the plate and eat my way out.
So glad you like this, Joanne, especially the photos as it was touch and go at times trying to get some decent ones. Very happy about your ‘honorary British roots’, too. Yay, come and join the hard core rain or shine people!
Wow that looks delish! I love lemon-infused pasta dishes, they’re just so light and spring-y.
Hey, thanks so much! I think the lemon makes this particular dish.
Your opening sentence is still making me laugh. Currently experimenting with lemon pasta recipes and I love it.
It’s so so true, isn’t it??! Haha! What kind of lemony pasta recipe have you been making?
Ha – welcome to the challenges of photography in England, where it is dark and grey more than it’s light and cheery… Bet you miss Greece already?! Still looks like you managed to take some pretty gorgeous shots in spite of all the clouds…well done you!
PS love that plate!
Well, let’s just say I miss the predictability of the weather in Greece already. There are plenty of things that I don’t miss, though! Thanks for the compliments on the photos … I wasn’t sure whether I was too happy with them, really. In the end though I decided they were just about acceptable to post and hopefully I’ll get the lighting thing sorted pretty soon! As for the plate, I actually ‘stole’ it from my mum’s kitchen cupboard for this shoot. I wonder if she’ll let me keep it? 😉
J’ai bien rigolée avec ton post! Je t’imaginé avec ton plat des pâtes en allant partout dans le jardin, juste pour avoir une brin de soleil! Ici, c’est un peu pareil, mon mari très moqueur il me dit à chaque fois, “je ne sais pas comme tu fais mais à chaque fois que tu fais de photos pour ton blog le temps est pourri” . Donc tout le temps, je prends mes photos dans la terrasse!
La vérité c’est que à Bordeaux, la météo est aussi très variable surtout en printemps! Il peut faire soleil et en 5 minutes chrono, il peut vous tombé une pluie torrentiel, ils appelle ça le giboulées !
Assez de parler de météo (aujourd’hui pleut) ton plat est divine, je crois que je veux te copier la recette !
Je me souviens que la meteo etait un peu variable aussi a Bordeaux, Eva, mais au moins it faisait beau un peu plus souvent qu’en Angleterre. Quant aux photos, avant que j’ait commence mon blog, je n’avais aucune idee comment difficile ca serait de les prendre correctement!
Je suis ravie que tu aimes la recette et surtout que tu as envie de le copier! 🙂