Farfalle () are a type of
pasta commonly known as bow-tie pasta or butterfly pasta. The name is derived from the
Italian word ''farfalle'' (
butterflies
Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...
). In the Italian region of
Emilia-Romagna, farfalle are known as ''strichetti'' (a local word for "
bow ties"). A larger variation of farfalle is known as ''farfalloni'', while the miniature version is called ''farfalline''. Farfalle date back to the 16th century in the
Lombardy
Lombardy ( it, Lombardia, Lombard language, Lombard: ''Lombardia'' or ''Lumbardia' '') is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in the northern-central part of the country and has a population of about 10 ...
and
Emilia-Romagna regions of
Northern Italy
Northern Italy ( it, Italia settentrionale, it, Nord Italia, label=none, it, Alta Italia, label=none or just it, Nord, label=none) is a geographical and cultural region in the northern part of Italy. It consists of eight administrative regions ...
.
Varieties
''Farfalle'' come in several sizes, but they all have a distinctive "
bow tie" shape. Usually, the farfalle are formed from a rectangle or oval of pasta, with two of the sides trimmed to a ruffled edge and the center pinched together to make the unusual shape of the pasta. A ridged version of the pasta is known as ''farfalle rigate''. Though usable with most
sauces, farfalle are best suited to
cream and
tomato sauces.
In addition to
plain and
whole-wheat varieties, colours are added by mixing certain ingredients into the dough, which also affects the flavor (as with any pasta). For example,
beetroot
The beetroot is the taproot portion of a beet plant, usually known in North America as beets while the vegetable is referred to as beetroot in British English, and also known as the table beet, garden beet, red beet, dinner beet or golden beet ...
can be used for red,
spinach
Spinach (''Spinacia oleracea'') is a leafy green flowering plant native to central and western Asia. It is of the order Caryophyllales, family Amaranthaceae, subfamily Chenopodioideae. Its leaves are a common edible vegetable consumed either f ...
for green and
cuttlefish ink for black. A
tomato variety may also be available. Green, white, and red varieties are often sold together in a mix that recalls the colors of the
flag of Italy
The national flag of Italy ( it, Bandiera d'Italia, ), often referred to in Italian as ''il Tricolore'' ( en, the Tricolour, ) is a tricolour (flag), tricolour featuring three equally sized vertical Pale (heraldry), pales of green, white and red, ...
.
See also
*
List of pasta
*
Cimcik erişte
References
{{Pasta
Types of pasta