A bowtie pasta recipe with sausage and broccoli that hits all the weeknight notes — it’s fast, tasty, and cooks in one pan. I love how the farfalle soaks up every bit of flavor from crumbled Italian sausage, tangy sun-dried tomatoes, tender broccoli, and lightly creamy sauce.

Bow tie pasta dinner in a pan, in a creamy sauce with sausage and broccoli.

I know it may be obvious, but this is a pasta recipe that you’ll turn to on busy nights, and you can use either fresh or frozen broccoli — whatever you have on hand.

Note to broccoli fans: If you’re craving the same garlicky, olive-oil-soaked vibes but want to skip the sausage, my recipe for cavatelli and broccoli is another simple pasta dinner classic.

An overhead photo of ingredients laid out on a cutting board, with bow tie pasta, raw sausage meat, dried tomatoes, grated cheese and broccolini.

Key ingredients

  • Bowtie pasta: I find this pasta shape irresistibly charming. In Italian farfalle translates to mean “butterflies.” There’s no difference between farfalle pasta and bowties — they are exactly the same pasta shape. The distinctive pinch in the middle of the bow tie forms two little cups that are perfect for catching sauce and cheese — basically all the good stuff.
  • Italian sausage: Look for uncooked Italian-style seasoned sausage. You want to remove the casings or ask the butcher/meat counter to do it for you. Many stores seem to be packaging bulk sausage in all kinds of flavors. That makes this recipe even more convenient to make! Don’t eat meat? You can substitute an Italian-flavored vegetarian sausage.
  • Sun-dried tomatoes: I highly recommend seeking out dry-packed tomatoes that are soft and pliable and bright red in color. To me, they taste brighter and fresher and have a pleasant texture. Yes, you can definitely use oil-packed tomatoes if that’s what you have. Make sure you drain them well, and pat them with a clean towel before cooking.
A white skillet filled with bow tie pasta, sausage, broccoli florets, and sun-dried tomatoes, topped with grated cheese. Nearby are a plate of cheese, a fork and knife on a yellow napkin, and a wooden spoon.

My tip for cooking perfect pasta

  • Bowties can typically take anywhere from 11-13 minutes to cook. But wait! In this recipe I actually want you to undercook the pasta just a little bit, as you would if making a pasta salad. That’s because the almost-cooked, al dente pasta — which I calculated to take about 8 minutes in boiling water — will finish cooking after you toss it in the sauce. Not only does the pasta reach al dente perfection, but the starch in the pasta helps bind the sauce. Try it and you’ll be like WOW (that’s what I said the first time I tried this method).
A pan filled with bow tie pasta, broccoli, ground sausage, and sun-dried tomatoes, all mixed in a creamy sauce, with a wooden spoon resting in the dish.
5 from 20 ratings

Bow-Tie Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli

Karen Tedesco
A recipe that checks all the boxes if you want to cook a quick, one-pan pasta for dinner. This dish combines bite-size bow-tie pasta with Italian sausage, tomatoes, and broccoli (or broccolini) in a light, creamy sauce.
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Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
 

  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound (450 g) uncooked Italian sausage, removed from casings
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped (1 cup)
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • ½-1 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes, to taste
  • ½ cup (55 g) moist sun-dried tomatoes, sliced into ¼-inch pieces
  • 2 cups (480 ml) chicken broth
  • 1 bunch broccoli, stems trimmed, sliced into bite-size pieces
  • 12 ounces (330 g) dried short pasta, such as penne, bowties or rigatoni
  • 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
  • ¼ cup (25 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Equipment

Instructions
 

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add enough salt to the water so that it tastes like the sea. I suggest 2-3 tablespoons per 4 quarts of water.
  2. Place a wide pan (large enough for the pasta and sauce) over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the oil. Stir in the sausage and cook until the meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes, breaking up the chunks with a spoon.
  3. Transfer the meat to a plate with a slotted spoon (this will help keep the cooking fat in the pan). Add the onion to the pan along with a splash of water or broth, stirring to release any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook 1-2 minutes, until softened.
  4. Stir in the ½ teaspoon salt, garlic, chili flakes and the tomatoes. Cook a few seconds, just until you can smell the garlic. Add the sausage back to the pan along with the broth and stir together. Bring the sauce to a simmer while you cook the pasta.
  5. Cook the pasta in the boiling water for exactly 8 minutes. Set the timer! You want the pasta undercooked a tiny bit because it's going to finish cooking in the sauce. Add the broccoli or broccolini to the boiling water about 30 seconds before draining.
  6. Add the pasta, broccoli, cream and Parmesan to the pan. Turn the heat up to medium-high and simmer 5-8 minutes, until the sauce is slightly thickened.
  7. Serve warm in bowls, topped with additional Parmesan cheese.

Notes

  • Instead of sun-dried tomatoes, substitute a pint of halved cherry tomatoes. 
  • Substitute with broccolini: Get one large bunch weighing about 12 ounces, or two small bunches. You can also easily use the same amount of bite-size broccoli florets (frozen ones are fine).
  • Bulk sausage is often sold at the meat counter.
  • For a vegetarian recipe, use your favorite Italian-style veggie sausage. Instead of browning the meat as in Step 2, cook the onion first then add your sausage with the tomatoes as in Step 3.
  • To store: Refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze up to one month. Reheat with a tablespoon of liquid for each serving (such as broth, water, or cream).

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 714kcal Carbohydrates: 54g Protein: 24g Fat: 45g Sodium: 946mg Fiber: 4g Sugar: 8g

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

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