Farfalle

Farfalle (bow ties, «butterflies») are a short dry pasta shaped like a butterfly or bow tie: a rectangular or oval piece of dough pinched in the middle. They are made from durum wheat semolina and water. Barilla and De Cecco name Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy as their home.

Composition by law. Under Italy's DPR 187/2001, «durum wheat semolina pasta» is semolina and water only. Moisture is at most 12.5%, protein at least 10.5% of dry matter, and soft-wheat flour may make up no more than 3%. Wholemeal pasta must have at least 11.5% protein.

Name and history. Barilla writes that farfalle date back to the 16th century. The Treccani dictionary describes «farfalle» as a small soup pasta shaped like little bows; today the tiny ones are sold as farfalline, while ordinary farfalle are cooked as a dish in their own right.

How to cook. Barilla cooks its farfalle for 11–12 minutes, De Cecco its n° 93 for 13 minutes, al dente at 11. Salt the water but add no oil: Barilla says oil stops the sauce clinging to the pasta. De Cecco suggests light sauces — butter with peas and ham, salmon and cream, mild soft cheeses; both producers also mention pasta salads.

Why it matters to you. On the pack, look for «pasta di semola di grano duro»: the ingredients are only semolina and water. USDA advises keeping unopened dry pasta without eggs for up to 2 years and opened for up to 1 year; cooked pasta keeps 3–5 days in the fridge or 1–2 months in the freezer.