Easy Bow-Tie Pasta (Instant Pot)
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A restaurant quality pasta dinner; creamy, loaded with flavor and ready in about 20 minutes. This light and creamy Bow-Tie Pasta recipe is easy enough for everyday, elegant enough for company. Made in the Instant Pot or stove top this bow tie pasta is ready to wow your taste buds in minutes!
Rich in Tuscan flavors with sundried tomatoes and mushrooms, bathed in a light Parmesan cream sauce. Whether you call it bow tie or farfalle pasta, I do not really care, just make this simple and amazing pasta recipe!
You can never go wrong with pasta for dinner, especially a super flavorful and easy pasta dish; you might enjoy these other reader favorites; Easy Light Chicken Parmesan, One Pot Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta Recipe and my personal favorite; 30 Minute Penne alla Vodka.

What is the Freaky Friday Blog Hop!?
Today is Freaky Friday, where Michaela from An Affair from the Heart secretly assigns everyone another blogger.
We make their recipe, photograph it as if it were our own, write a post about it in our own words, then all share our posts on the selected Friday.
Here are a few of my previous Freaky Friday recipes; Cranberry Bourbon Sour, Sweet Molasses Brown Bread, Mint Fudge Brownies, and Oatmeal Rolled Sugar Cookies.
Meet Rebecca of Devour Dinner
It’s an honor to have been assigned Rebecca’s blog, Devour Dinner! It has been so much fun to get to know Rebecca through her beautiful and inspiring blog. We have a lot in common:
- I know we would hit it off, we are moms to boys! Amen sister, I am right there with you taxi driving, cheering, having hordes of stinky boys in the house…read about her!
- Our family motto is the same, there is always room for one more at the dinner table!
- She is the Queen of the Instant Pot, I am so impressed with all of her amazing Instant Pot recipes, from beginner recipes to more detailed recipes! If you haven’t ventured into the IP world, browse her recipes!
- Her deep passion for cooking combined with design pushed her to create her beautiful food blog in 2017 (we started the same year!)
- Rebecca is inspired by and loves all things Disney — I grew up about an hour from Disneyland and so I thoroughly understand this inspiration! A must try is her Disney “Grey Stuff“! Remember Beauty and the Beast, “try the grey stuff, it’s delicious!”
Since she’s the Instant Pot Queen and I’m the Instant Pot “Scullery Maid”, I knew I had to try an IP recipe. I made her Tuna Noodle Casserole, Grandma’s Mac & Cheese and the Bow Tie Pasta (all beginner recipes!), they were all delicious and EASY — but, the creamy bowtie pasta WON, the whole family “devoured” it! Pun intended!
Simple Ingredients for Bow-Tie Pasta
This bow-tie pasta was inspired by a Disney Cruise Line meal Rebecca had while cruisin’ — the ingredients are quite simple:

- BOW-TIE PASTA | Use regular or mini Bow-Tie Pasta, also called farfalle, also try penne or linguine as well.
- MUSHROOMS | Anyone who knows me, knows I greatly dislike mushrooms, it’s a texture thing, but I actually love their flavor, so even if you have a ‘shroom aversion, pick them out like I do and enjoy the flavor! I used baby Portabella’s in this recipe, but any mushroom will work.
- SUN-DRIED TOMATOES | I think Rebecca used sun-dried tomatoes in oil, but I had shelf-stable sundried tomatoes so I used those, either will work great! If they whole, julienne (slice in strips) ahead of time.
- CHICKEN BROTH | Adds great flavor, if trying to stay vegetarian, use water or vegetable broth instead.
- HEAVY CREAM | You can use Half & Half, it won’t be as creamy and the sauce won’t thicken as much, but it will work. I personally would not use fat-free cream or half and half however; indulge a bit!
- PROSECCO | An Italian sparkling wine, you can use any dry sparkling wine or dry white wine as a substitute, if you prefer not to use alcohol, substitute additional broth or water.
- SPICES | No chopping for this recipe, use garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.
- PARMESAN CHEESE | You can use grated or shredded or shaved, substitute with Romano!
Recommended Tools
- This is the 6 qt Instant Pot our family of four uses, I love it! However; if I were purchasing today, I would purchase this one with the air fryer lid option!
- Measuring Cups | I personally love Pyrex Measuring cups for my liquid measures, they clean so well!
- Wooden Spoon | for the sauteing as well as stirring, a solid wooden spoon is a must!
- Pasta Bowls | you do not need pasta bowls, but they make it fun and a little easier to eat pasta!
How to Make Instant Pot Pasta with Cream
I always recommend you measure, prep and chop all ingredients ahead of time, that way once you start, this bow tie pasta recipe comes together quickly and easily. No Instant Pot? Read on for stove top instructions.
- Turn Instant Pot (IP) to the “Saute” mode and allow it to heat until it reads “HOT”!
- Add butter or olive oil to IP and allow to melt, then toss in chopped mushrooms and saute until soft, a few minutes. Turn off IP.
- Pour in broth (or water), scraping the bottom of the pan to release any bits, this is called deglazing the pan.

- Add garlic, pepper, onion powder, heavy cream and Prosecco, give it all a quick stir.
- Pour in bow tie pasta, pressing down lightly with wooden spoon until evenly distributed and most of it is under liquid.


- Close IP lid, lock and secure (close vent) and set to Manual/Pressure Cook for 4 minutes. It takes about 5 minutes to come to pressure, allow for a 4-5 minute natural release (longer if at altitude), then release the rest of the steam, carefully. This will be more al dente pasta.
- Stir in sundried tomatoes and Parmesan cheese, the sauce will thicken as it cools. If desired, sprinkle with some chopped Italian parsley or fresh basil.

High Altitude Instant Pot Pasta
The Instant Pot can sometimes be a bit trickier for those of us living at altitude, I live in the Mile High City and typically add an additional 1-2 minutes to my cooking time. For this recipe however; I kept the cooking time at 4 minutes and let sit for an additional 1 minute in the natural release time.

Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, as you can see from some of my pictures, I grilled a couple of chicken breasts that I had marinated in a simple Italian vinaigrette, sliced and served on top of the pasta with a drizzle of nutty balsamic glaze. Or you may toss rotisserie or pre-cooked chicken when adding the sun-dried tomatoes and cheese.
It’s the American nickname for this pasta that is shaped, like a bow tie! In Italy, this pasta is called Farfalle [farˈfalle]) are a type of pasta commonly known as bow–tie pasta or butterfly pasta. The name is derived from the Italian word farfalle (butterflies). A larger variation of farfalle is known as farfalloni, while the miniature version is called farfalline.
Cream does crazy things when frozen, it breaks apart, looking curdled, so while you can certainly freeze cooked pasta, since this recipe comes together so quickly, I would not recommend freezing.
In our house, one dinner! 🙂 Haha! But really, divvy this into individual serving containers and this will last for a week in the fridge.
You can microwave it, but do it low and slow and add a tablespoon or two of water or broth ahead of time. But I prefer to reheat on the stove top in a pan, add a few tablespoons of broth or water, stir around, if it thins out too much, add a splash of cream.
Stove Top Instructions
I get it, not everyone has an Instant Pot so how do you cook bow tie pasta on the stove top?
- Prepare bowtie pasta or farfalle according to package directions, to your taste.
- Heat 2 tablespoon of butter in a large saute pan over medium high heat.
- Add the mushrooms to the pan and season, saute mushrooms for 4-6 minutes or until tender and browned.
- Deglaze pan with chicken broth, scraping any browned bits (= flavor!) off the bottom, whisk in Prosecco, garlic, pepper, onion powder.
- Slowly add the cream and simmer for 4-5 minutes or until just thickened – do not boil.
- Whisk in the Parmesan cheese, stirring continuously, until cheese has melted. Add sun-dried tomatoes and season the sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Stir in cooked and drained bowtie pasta, mixing until sauce covers it all, serve immediately!

Bow Tie Pasta Recipe Add In’s
If you are like me you cannot leave a recipe alone, so here are some ideas for optional add in’s to enhance this delicious bow tie pasta recipe!
- PROTEIN | I grilled a couple chicken breasts that I marinated in a simple Italian dressing and sliced and placed on top, this would also be delicious with shrimp, Pancetta, or simply Rotisserie chicken.
- DRIZZLE | Drizzling a little balsamic glaze on top of the pasta or the chicken or both, adds a beautiful finishing touch that tastes great too!
- VEGETABLES | Try adding additional vegetables; artichoke hearts would pair beautifully in this Tuscan dish. Eggplant, spinach (add at the very end) and even peas would all be delicious. Saute some fresh garlic plus 1/2 a thinly sliced onion, or red bell peppers with the mushrooms. Sliced Green, black or Kalamata olives or capers would also be delicious stirred in!
- MORE CHEESE | Try topping with fresh shaved Parmesan or Romano Cheese.
More Instant Pot Recipes you will love:
- Healthy Crack Chicken {Instant Pot or Slow Cooker}
- Instant Pot Fettuccine Alfredo
- Instant Pot Whole Chicken
- Instant Pot Rustic Mashed Potatoes {Stovetop & Crockpot too}
- Easy Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken (or Slow Cooker)
- Best Instant Pot Turkey Breast Recipe
- Glazed Tarragon Carrots (Instant Pot or Stove Top)
- Potato Leek Soup (Instant Pot or Stovetop)
- White Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake (Instant Pot or Oven)
Like this recipe?
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Creamy Bow Tie Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 oz Bow tie Pasta, Farfalle pasta
- 1 cup mushrooms, chopped | I used baby Portabella’s any type will work
- 2 tablespoons butter, or olive oil | either works great!
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, in oil or dry, julienne cut
- 1 3/4 cups chicken broth, or water
- 1/2 cup heavy cream , not fat free, | sub with half and half
- 1/4 cup Prosecco , dry sparkling wine, replace with dry white wine or additional broth.
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/3-1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated or shredded
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot (IP) to the "Saute" mode and allow it to heat until it reads "HOT"!
- Add butter or olive oil to IP and allow to melt, then toss in chopped mushrooms and saute until soft, a few minutes. Turn off IP.
- Pour in broth (or water), scraping the bottom of the pan to release any bits, this is called deglazing the pan.
- Add garlic, pepper, onion powder, heavy cream and Prosecco, give it all a quick stir.
- Pour in bow tie pasta, pressing down lightly with wooden spoon until evenly distributed and most of it is under liquid.
- Close IP lid, lock and secure (close vent) and set to Manual/Pressure Cook for 4 minutes. It takes about 5 minutes to come to pressure, allow for a 4-5 minute natural release (longer if at altitude), then release the rest of the steam, carefully.
- Stir in sundried tomatoes and Parmesan cheese, the sauce will thicken as it cools. If desired, sprinkle with some chopped Italian parsley or fresh basil.
- I do not recommend freezing a cream based recipe like this, but this does store well in the fridge up to 7 days. See below for reheating instructions.
- This recipe may be doubled, if making in the instant pot, if too watery when you release the pressure, simply turn IP to simmer and stir until desired thickness.
✱ Kathleen’s Tips
kept the cooking time at 4 minutes and let sit for an additional 1
minute in the natural release time. How to Reheat Creamy Pasta : You can microwave it, but do it low and slow and add a tablespoon or two of water or broth ahead of time. But I prefer to reheat on the stove top, add a few tablespoons of broth or water, stir around, if it thins out too much, add a splash of cream. See post for additional add-in ideas. Stove Top Instructions:
- Prepare bowtie pasta or farfalle according to package directions, to your taste.
- Heat 2 tablespoon of butter in a large saute pan over medium high heat.
- Add the mushrooms to the pan and season, saute mushrooms for 4-6 minutes or until tender and browned.
- Deglaze pan with chicken broth, scraping any browned bits (= flavor!) off the bottom, whisk in Prosecco, garlic, pepper, onion powder.
- Slowly add the cream and simmer for 4-5 minutes or until just thickened – do not boil.
- Whisk in the Parmesan cheese, stirring continuously, until cheese has melted. Add sun-dried tomatoes and season the sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Stir in cooked and drained bowtie pasta, mixing until sauce covers it all, serve immediately!
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Fresh Cooky is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
Take a look at all of our 2021 Freaky Friday Spring Edition Recipes:
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- An Affair from the Heart – Blueberry Mojitos
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- The Fresh Cooky – Bowtie Pasta Recipe
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About Kathleen Pope
Recipe Innovator | Food Photographer | Food Writer
Hi, I’m Kathleen Pope. Here at The Fresh Cooky you will find easy, mostly from-scratch, trusted recipes for all occasions. From speedy dinners to tasty desserts, with easy step-by-step instructions. I am here to help teach you how to make mouthwatering recipes without spending hours in the kitchen. Read more about Kathleen here.
What fabulous flavors in this easy to make pasta dish. Perfect for any day of the week.
So glad you loved it!
This quickly became a favorite at my house! So perfect for weeknights!
Yes it really is!
It was so delicious and everyone loved it! Thank you for this amazing recipe!
You are welcome! Glad you all loved it!
I have everything I need for this dish, can’t wait to make it this weekend! My family is going to love this!
Fantastic!
Oh my goodness, you had me at pasta, mushrooms and heavy cream! The Prosecco and Parmesan cheese really take this dish over the top. I loved your suggestion to add grilled chicken, which pairs so beautifully with the tangy sun-dried tomatoes. Thanks for the stovetop directions, too. Loved reading about your connections with Rebecca at Devour Dinner!
It really does bring out all the great flavors doesn’t it!
This is my go-to pasta recipe on weeknights, love it!
Love it!
You had me at “slam dunk”! Can’t wait to try this, it looks perfect to take to the pool for dinner this summer 🙂
Thanks Kimberly, it is SO perfect for the pool! Looking forward to that as well!
Drooling!! Instant Pot dinners are always so convenient, and every time I see a new recipe, I scold myself for not using my IP more! This one is FOR SURE happening at our house. So much yum!
I do the same for sure!! Hope you love it!
Sundried tomatoes are one of my favorite ingredients. I love them in pasta dishes!!!!! This is a must try!
Thanks Brandi, hope you love it!
I saw this recipe and couldn’t believe how amazing it is. My family loved it and it will be a regular on our menu.
Any recipe with Prosecco is a friend of mine! This pasta looks amazing!
LOL! I hear you!!
Love easy dinners like this!!! Tried it the other night and it was wonderful!
Thanks so much Michelle, I am with you, the easier (and tastier) the better!
I am always looking for a good and easy pasta recipe. I am so happy I found this one. It was a big hit at home.
I Love love this recipe and you have done such a fantastic job remaking my recipe. Your photos are stunning. So glad you loved this recipe. It’s a keeper and among my favorites.
It was such a pleasure to make Rebecca!! Thank you for a fine recipe!
Ooooh, prosecco! That’s a nice addition, and simple ingredients too. Great addition for a cookout dish to share too.
Super simple!! Thanks so much Sandra! Cheers!
This pasta is just DREAMY! What a wonderful combination of flavors. My kids ADORED this, and so did I!
Always love hearing that Erin!! Thank you!
Creamy and Sun-Dried Tomatoes, It the perfect combo!
Thanks Jill, I quite agree!!
This looks incredible! I love trying new pasta dishes and can’t wait to try this out.
I hope you love it Sam!
I love how the prosecco adds a hit of brightness to the sauce! Brings it all together!
You got it, just a hit, but oh so good!
Our favorite bistro in town serves a similar pasta dish. I can’t wait to recreate it at home with this recipe! It looks easy and amazingly good!
Wahoo!! Thanksso much Amy!
OMG yes! I am always looking for quick easy weeknight meals and this pasta looks so perfect.
It is really one of those dishes!!
Ohhh this pasta sounds so so good. Love the flavors, that creaminess and how easy it is. Winner!
Thank you Angela, I quite agree!
WOW! This pasta dinner is amazing and makes any weeknight meal a special occasion. Great flavors in there!
What a great write up on a delicious recipe! One of my FAVORITES from Disney too. I loved all your extra tips and ideas. Your photos are stunning! I’m definitely going to try this with a Balsamic Drizzle. Yum! ❤️