Bow Tie Pasta Salad prepared and ready to serve.

Bow Tie Pasta Salad

The little folds of bow-tie pasta hold onto zesty dressing and bits of crisp vegetable. Provolone gives this colorful, herb-flecked salad enough substance for the picnic table.

This Bow Tie Pasta Salad is a colorful, make-ahead side dish filled with crisp-tender green beans, juicy Roma tomatoes, black olives, provolone cheese, and whole button mushrooms. Italian dressing coats every bow tie, while fresh basil, thyme, and Parmesan add a savory finish. Served cold, it is especially useful for potlucks, picnics, family gatherings, and warm-weather suppers.

Betty Lou Gardner in a family archival photograph

Granny’s Kitchen Notes

From Betty Lou Gardner

I make this a little ahead so the dressing has time to work its way into the pasta. Before serving, I give it a good stir and use the dressing I held back if it looks dry. I keep the bowl cold until everyone is ready to eat.

How to Make Bow Tie Pasta Salad

◆
Bow Tie Pasta Salad, preparation step 1.
01

Cook and Lightly Dress the Pasta

Cook the farfalle until tender but still holding its shape, drain it thoroughly, and toss it with a little Italian dressing.

Bow Tie Pasta Salad, preparation step 2.
02

Blanch the Green Beans

Cook the green beans briefly until bright and crisp-tender, then cool and dry them well.

Bow Tie Pasta Salad, preparation step 3.
03

Build the Salad

Gently combine the dressed pasta with the tomatoes, green beans, olives, provolone, mushrooms, basil, thyme, and black pepper.

Bow Tie Pasta Salad, preparation step 4.
04

Dress and Chill

Toss the salad with more Italian dressing, then cover and refrigerate it so the flavors can settle together.

05

Finish and Serve

Stir the chilled salad, refresh it with the reserved dressing as needed, and finish with Parmesan and black pepper.

Bow Tie Pasta Salad prepared and ready to serve.

Bow Tie Pasta Salad

The little folds of bow-tie pasta hold onto zesty dressing and bits of crisp vegetable. Provolone gives this colorful, herb-flecked salad enough substance for the picnic table.

By Betty Lou Gardner

Prep15 minCook15 minTotal1 hr 30 minDifficultyEasy
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Ingredients

Scale

Scaling note: Scaling is withheld until recipe-specific quantities, method safety, and instruction synchronization are verified.

Pasta Salad

Garnish

Instructions

  1. 3¾ cups dry farfalle pasta, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, ¼ cup Italian dressing
  2. 2 cups fresh green beans
  3. 2 cups Roma tomatoes, 2 cups blanched green beans, 1 cup pitted black olives, 1½ cups provolone cheese, ¾ cup canned whole button mushrooms, 2 tablespoons fresh basil, 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  4. ½ cup Italian dressing
  5. Remaining ¼ cup Italian dressing, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, remaining ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Nutrition (Approximate Per Serving)

Yield

12 servings — Serving size: About 1 cup

Some ingredients could not be modeled and may meaningfully change the totals. Treat these values as a rough estimate.

Calories
210
Carbohydrates
25.5 g
Protein
9.5 g
Fat
7.5 g
Saturated Fat
3.5 g
Cholesterol
10 mg
Sodium
890 mg
Fiber
2 g
Total Sugars
2.5 g

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