Creamy Bow Tie Pasta Salad With Crispy Pancetta

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I love a good pasta salad—who doesn’t, right? Pasta salads are usually easy to make and remind me of summer days, filled with BBQs, picnics, and friends and family get-togethers. Recipes like this easy bow-tie pasta salad are a great make-ahead dish to take with you to a summer BBQ along with my roasted chicken salad with grapes 😉 I only recently shared another pasta dish with crispy prosciutto, and which I think you will enjoy too.

Why You Should Try This Bow-Tie Pasta Salad Recipe

• Great make-ahead dish for summer picnics
• Crowd pleaser
• Budget-friendly

Like with all Italian recipes, the quality of the ingredients matters. While we only have 8 simple ingredients, make sure you use the best you can find. Here is what you will need to make this Italian bow-tie pasta salad.

• Bow-tie pasta: Or pasta farfalle, as Italians call it. You can use different pasta varieties if you prefer. My boys really like farfalle, so I use it a lot in my cooking, like in my easy summer pasta recipe. Use gluten-free pasta to make this pasta salad gluten-free.
• Pancetta: You’ll find pancetta in the deli department. While it might seem pricey, we only need about 100 grams. Can’t find pancetta? Thinly sliced bacon works too.
• Sun-dried tomatoes: Substitute sun-dried tomatoes with roasted bell peppers if preferred.
• Shallots and garlic: Shallots have a sweet taste and are great for this recipe, but you can use brown or red onion as well.
• Cherry tomatoes
• Crème fraîche
• Parmesan cheese: If you don’t like Parmesan or have another cheese in the fridge, mozzarella or feta cheese would work too.
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Fresh basil leaves (optional, but highly recommended)

• Step 1: Start by boiling water in a large pot, add a tablespoon of salt, and cook bow-tie pasta until al dente. Reserve half a cup of pasta water before draining.
• Step 2: While the pasta is cooking, dice shallots, mince garlic, halve cherry tomatoes, and cut sun-dried tomatoes.

Step 3: Heat a little olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the pancetta for a minute or two on each side until crispy. Place on kitchen paper towels to absorb the excess fat. I used six slices of pancetta and fried them in two batches. Keep the heat medium-low to avoid burning.

Step 4: Add more olive oil to the pan (no need to wash it). Add onions and fry over low heat until softened. Add garlic and cook for another minute.

Step 5: Add cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, and crème fraîche to the pan, mix, and cook on very low heat for 5 minutes until the cherry tomatoes soften.

Step 6: Chop or break the pancetta into smaller pieces.

Step 7: Add cooked pasta to the pan with the tomato mixture along with crispy pancetta, shaved Parmesan, and fresh basil leaves. Mix to combine and serve.

And here you have the most delicious creamy pasta salad in just 20 minutes!

☀️ Top Tips

• Have all ingredients ready before starting.
• Once you’ve added crème fraîche to the pan, keep the stove on very low heat to prevent separation.
• Reserve some crispy pancetta and shaved Parmesan to sprinkle on top for beautiful presentation.

❄️ How To Store

This pasta salad is best enjoyed fresh. If storing, let it cool completely, then place it in an airtight container and refrigerate for 2–3 days. Before serving, bring the salad to room temperature for the best flavor, and top with reserved pancetta and Parmesan. Note: This pasta salad is not suitable for freezing.

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If you tried this Creamy Bow Tie Pasta Salad With Crispy Pancetta or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 below.

Thank you! Elena

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