A pasta salad made in less than 15 minutes! It's perfect for dinner, a quick snack or for lunch boxes, cold! This Asian Bow Tie Pasta recipe is also great for potlucks because it's easy to make and is relatively shelf stable compared to the common dairy based pastas. It's an easy recipe and a family favorite.
Most pasta salads are so rich and heavy. While creamy pastas are delicious, a light pasta dish like this Asian bow tie pasta recipe is always nice to have. If you or your family are fans of sweet or teriyaki flavors, this one is definitely for you. It's a wonderful sweet and salty taste and is light and refreshing.
I came up with this recipe because I found myself going to so many potlucks or playdates. I wanted to bring something that could withstand room temperatures. While I don't advise it to be out for a long time, I do feel a lot better about it out for a couple of hours, since there is no meat or dairy.
Why You'll Love This Bow Tie Pasta With Veggies Recipe
- So Versatile - You can add either chopped cilantro, chopped green onion, or chopped spinach to this recipe. It will please just about anyone's taste buds. You can also try using any short pasta for this recipe. You can even add chopped cooked chicken if you like! Feel free to add some shredded rotisserie chicken to this recipe. Just make sure you keep it cool if serving at a potluck.
- Perfect for lunch boxes - Enjoy this pasta cold, room temp, or warm!
- Budget Friendly - If you're serving a large group, this is definitely an inexpensive choice!
How To Make Sesame Pasta
The only prepping you'll be doing is chopping which vegetable you choose. I usually use chopped spinach because my kids love it! It's one of the mildest green vegetables and you can chop it finely. Feel free to change it to green onion or cilantro if you love those more. If you want to add broccoli, I suggest blanching it quickly or steaming for a bit.
Then in a large pot, cook pasta according to package directions. Remove from heat and drain water in a strainer. I like to run the pasta in cold water so it stops the cooking process.
In a large bowl, mix all your dressing ingredients together including pasta, honey, and oil soy sauce.
Add sesame seeds for garnish and red pepper flakes for a little kick. To bring out even more flavor, in a large skillet, you can even add red bell peppers and saute your red pepper flakes in some olive oil or vegetable oil. You obviously, may want to omit this step if you have kiddos who don't like spice!
Enjoy hot or cold, or room temp. Sprinkle sesame seeds for garnish and extra flavor. Serve it as a side dish or main course.
Here's a pro tip for you: If you want this recipe super flavorful, place it in the refrigerator overnight making sure to mix it before serving. A lot of the sauce ends up on the bottom of the bowl and will need to be incorporated into the pasta once more.
If you're serving this for adults, a few dashes of red chili flakes make this dish pop! You can always remember this recipe as the ½ cup recipe. For the dressing you need a half cup of soy sauce, half cup of honey, an a half cup of sesame oil.
Cook's Tips For Asian Bow Tie Pasta:
- Mix the pasta prior to serving. Often times the sauce stays on the bottom of the bowl.
- Use short pasta like bow tie or rotini for best results. I highly prefer bow tie pasta for this recipe however.
- Protein options: feel free to add cooked chopped chicken
FAQ:
- How long will it keep in the fridge?
- You can happily keep this in the fridge for 3 days or more if there is no meat included
- Can you freeze this bow tie salad recipe?
- I don't recommend this. It's best fresh.
- How long to cook bow tie pasta?
- Often times I follow box instructions, but I recommend 8-11 minutes.
- What else can I use farfalle pasta for?
- Since the bow tie pasta holds its shape, it's great for baked casseroles or even soups.
- Is sesame oil good for you?
- Sesame oil is packed full of antioxidants. It has so many great compounds including vitamin e. Some say these compounds help reduce the chances of you developing illnesses.
- Can I sub with olive oil?
- The sesame oil really adds a ton of flavor to this dish, I don't suggest substituting it with any other oils.
Looking for more easy lunch ideas? Try my Rainbow Pasta Salad recipe or these Mini Zucchini Bites
Tried this bow tie recipe and love it? Leave me a comment and rating below, it helps me decide which recipes to create next.
For more inspiration follow us on Instagram Or like us on Facebook
Asian Bow Tie Pasta
Ingredients
- ½ cup chopped spinach may substitute, green onion or cilantro
- 20 oz farfalle pasta prepared per box instructions
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup soy sauce or low sodium tamari
- ½ cup sesame oil
- 3 tbs toasted sesame seeds optional
- 1 tbs crushed red chili pepper flakes optional
- 1 cup broccoli, blanched optional
Instructions
- Chopped desired vegetable (spinach, cilantro, or green onion)
- Cook pasta per box intstructions
- Mix pasta and all ingredients in a bowl.
- Add sesame seeds if desired or chili pepper flakes
- Serve hot, room temperature, or refrigerate for an hour and serve.
