Farfalle Pasta, plus Pancetta, Chilli and Garlic
This easy farfalle pasta is creamy and comforting, made with garlic, chilli and pancetta. It's quick and easy, coming together in 20 minutes, making it suited to busy weeknights!
Quick recipe overview
- Time – 20 minutes
- Flavour – creamy and garlicky with a subtle kick of chilli.
- Suited to – quick weeknight dinners
Although we love to cook and spend hours on a slow Sunday afternoon making fresh homemade pastaravioli or tagliatelle with a rich and good meat ragu.
Weeknights are a different story. They're always busy, and dinners often need to be quick, easy and full of flavour.
A simple bowl of pasta is often a go-to in our house, and this easy farfalle pasta with garlic and chilli is suited to those nights.
The creamy tomato sauce is quick and comforting, made with salty pancetta and the right kick from fresh red chilli. Serve it with some Parmigiano, crusty bread or homemade focaccia to mop up every bit of the sauce.
Ingredient notes
- Farfalle pasta – Farfalle means 'butterflies' in Italian, but is commonly known as 'bow tie pasta' in English. It's great for clinging onto creamy sauces like this and is easy to eat. You can use this or another short pasta shape, such as rigatoni or penne.
- Chopped tomatoes – use good-quality tomatoes if possible, as they make a world of difference. We use and love Mutti as it's readily available in most stores. For a richer tomato flavour, you can use the same amount of passata (tomato puree US) instead.
- Pancetta – you can also use guanciale, but you may need to remove some excess fat after frying. You can omit the pancetta altogether for a meat-free option.
- Red chilli – depending on the heat level, we tend to use between 1/2 to 1 whole chilli and remove the seeds before using.
- Fresh parsley – you could also use fresh basil instead.
Top tip!
Sauce thickening too much? If your sauce has reduced too much before your pasta is ready, adjust the consistency with a splash of pasta water.
Can we prep this in advance?Yes, you can prepare the sauce up to 2 days in advance and keep it stored in the fridge. Add some pasta water to loosen it when reheating.
How long do leftovers last?The pasta will keep well for 1-2 days in the fridge and can be eaten hot or cold.
More good pasta to try
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Roasted Fennel Pasta with Chilli and Lemon
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Pasta With Pancetta, Ricotta and Tomato
Classic Italian Recipes
Pasta With Puttanesca Sauce (Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca)
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