The Italian pasta shape named for its butterfly-like appearance is farfalle.
The name comes from farfalla, the Italian word for “butterfly.” Farfalle is made by cutting pasta dough into squares or rectangles and pinching the centers, creating a distinctive bow-tie form with ruffled edges.
The center is usually thicker than the outer wings, so it can remain pleasantly firm while the edges cook more quickly. This gives farfalle a varied texture in the same bite.
Farfalle is commonly served with tomato sauces, cream sauces, pesto, vegetables, and pasta salads. It is sometimes called bow-tie pasta in English, although farfalle is the standard Italian name. It should not be confused with farfalloni, a larger version, or farfalline, a smaller one.