To me, bowtie pasta and summer go hand in hand. There’s something about this cute pasta that screams pretty flowers, butterflies, and sunny days outside. In fact, bowtie pasta is actually called farfalle in Italian, which stands for butterfly! This pasta dish seals the deal for me. It’s light, herby, lemony, and so fresh. You can serve it hot or cold. Another one of my favorite dishes to make for a hot summer day. Let’s eat!

Here is the recipe:

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Servings: Varies

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of bowtie pasta, cooked and drained per package instructions
• ½ cup of sweet green peas, blanched
• 1 bunch of fresh asparagus, trimmed and chopped
• 1 tsp of fine salt, plus more to taste
• 1 tsp of cracked black pepper, plus more to taste
• 2 Tbsp of olive oil
• 1 large clove of fresh garlic, minced
• 3-4 leaves of fresh basil
• 1 large sprig of fresh lemon thyme, stripped (regular thyme also works)
• 1 large sprig of fresh rosemary, chopped (use only the leaves)
• Fresh lemon zest 
• 1 whole lemon, juiced
• 4-5 strips of applewood smoked bacon, cooked, drained and chopped
• ½ cup of heavy cream
• ½ cup of vegetable stock

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan over medium low heat, add the olive oil and garlic. Stir to sauté the garlic until it starts to turn a light golden color.
2. Next, add the salt, cracked black pepper, lemon juice, and vegetable stock. Continue stirring to combine all the ingredients together.
3. Then add the lemon thyme, rosemary, and lemon zest. Stir to combine.
4. Now add the heavy cream, bacon bits, and stir. Allow all the ingredients to simmer for about 5 to 8 minutes.
5. Toss in the cooked bowtie pasta and give everything a gentle stir.
6. Finally, add in the sweet green peas and asparagus, coating the vegetables in the sauce.
7. Finish with a garnish of fresh basil leaves. Serve it hot or refrigerate to cool before serving. Enjoy!