I made this recipe as a copycat of the famous farfallone pasta from I Cavallini, a popular Italian spot in Brooklyn. It has these floppy, dramatically large bowtie pastas that really make this a fun and whimsical dish. But you can make this with any pasta too if you don’t want to make your own!
Calabrian Chili Farfallone Pasta
Ingredients
- 100 grams Guanciale or Pancetta diced
- 1½ tbsp Calabrian chilies in oil
- 1 tsp Oil from calabrian chili jar
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 4 tbsp Salted butter cold, cubed
- 3 tbsp Panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup Pasta water reserved from cooking
- Kosher salt to taste
Farfallone Fresh Pasta
- 200 grams All purpose flour plus more for dusting
- 2 Egg yolks large
- 1 Whole egg
- 1 tsp Olive oil
- 1 pinch Salt
- 1-2 tsp Water if needed
Instructions
Make the Farfallone Pasta
- To a food processor, add the flour, egg, egg yolks, olive oil, and salt. Pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand. If it's too dry, add water half a teaspoon at a time and pulse again. Pour the contents of the food processor into a mixing bowl, then use your hands to form a dough. Knead briefly until it becomes a smooth ball. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- Divide the rested dough into two pieces, keeping one covered while not in use. Feed the dough through a pasta machine starting at the widest setting, folding and rolling two or three times until smooth, then work down to setting 5 or 6.
- Lay the pasta sheet on a floured surface and use a knife or a pasta cutter to cut large rectangles, approximately 4 inches wide and 3 inches tall. Lightly wet your fingers and rub the water over the center of the rectangle, then pinch the rectangle in the center to form a bow tie shape. Pinch firmly to ensure the center stays together, adding more water as "glue" if needed. Dust lightly with flour and set aside on a floured tray without stacking.
- You should have at least 6 pasta bowties.
Make the Calabrian Chili Sauce
- To a large pan, off the heat, add the guanciale then set over medium heat. Slowly render out the fat from the guanciale until it is crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove the guanciale and set on a paper-towel lined plate to the side, leaving all of the fat in the pan. Turn off the heat and set this pan aside temporarily.
- In a separate small pan, quickly toast the breadcrumbs. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the rendered guanciale fat into the small pan and leave the rest undisturbed in the main pan, along with 1 teaspoon of the oil from the jar of calabrian chilies. Over medium heat, add the panko to the small pan. Stir continuously until golden and fragrant, adding more oil if needed. Once golden and crispy, season with a small pinch of salt and set to the side.
- Place the large pan back over medium heat, then add the garlic and saute until fragrant, but not browned. Add in 1½ tbsp of chopped calabrian chilies and stir, then lower the heat.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Drop in the pasta bowties and boil until they float to the top. Reserve about 1/2 cup pasta water.
- Return the pan to medium heat. Add a generous splash of pasta water and let it simmer, scraping up any bits from the bottom. Add the pasta, at least 3 bowties at a time. (Work in batches if needed). Add the cold butter cubes and half of the guanciale and swirl the pan vigorously, until the sauce is glossy and coats the pasta. Taste and add salt as needed. Repeat with the second serving of 3 bowties if necessary.
- Plate 3 bowties per serving, spooning extra sauce over the pasta and topping with the toasted panko breadcrumbs and remaining guanciale pieces.
