Bow Tie Pasta
A Simple, Hands-On Homeschool Project
👉 Find the full homemade bow tie pasta recipe here:
[RECIPE LINK]
👉 Find the full homemade bow tie pasta recipe here:
Bow tie pasta, also known as farfalle, gets its name from the Italian word for butterfly — and when you look at the shape, it’s easy to see why. Each little pinch creates wings, making pasta that really does resemble a butterfly.
The origins of pasta are simple. Long ago, someone discovered that mixing flour with water created a dough that could be shaped and dried, making food that lasted longer and could be cooked later. From that simple discovery, pasta slowly became part of everyday life.
Since then, pasta has come a long way.
In Italy, there are over 600 different pasta shapes, many created because families shaped dough by hand using what worked best for them. Different regions developed different shapes based on local traditions, tools, and ingredients.
Some common pasta shapes you may already know include spaghetti, lasagna, and fettuccine — but there are hundreds more.
👉 Can you name some of your favorites?
👉 If you invented your own pasta shape, what would it look like?
Make It a Slow Afternoon Project
In Italy, making pasta was often a family affair. It was a group event where everyone helped — grandparents, parents, siblings, and kids all gathered around the table. It was a way to stay connected, to laugh, and to build shared memories while preparing food together.
This doesn’t need to be rushed or squeezed between lessons. Put on some music. Let siblings work side by side. Take a short break while the dough rests. You might even invite grandparents or cousins over to help, or wait until dad is available. Invite the neighbors if you’d like. Pasta was never meant to be a solo task.
The more hands involved, the more natural it feels. Someone rolls, someone cuts, someone pinches. Stories get told. Laughter sneaks in. The food carries those moments with it.
There’s something grounding about making pasta by hand. No machines. No hurry. Just flour, an egg, and a little time at the table.
This is one of those projects that might look complicated at first, but once you begin, it settles into a rhythm kids naturally fall into. Rolling, cutting, pinching — small movements that turn simple ingredients into real food.
Why Bow Tie Pasta Works So Well With Kids
We chose bow tie pasta (farfalle) on purpose. It doesn’t require fancy equipment or perfectly rolled dough. The shape is forgiving, sturdy, and made entirely by hand. It starts as a simple rectangle — small or large — that gets pinched in the middle to form a bow.
We used a pastry knife to cut our rectangles, which gives the edges a little shape, but use what you have. A pizza cutter or a regular knife works just as well.
Each small rectangle gets pinched in the center, and suddenly it looks like a butterfly. Every one turns out a little different — and that’s part of the beauty. Handmade food isn’t meant to look identical.
If you’d like to try other pasta shapes at home, many of the ones kids already recognize can be made without a machine. Fettuccine is simply rolled dough cut into wide ribbons. Lasagna noodles are just large rectangles, rolled a bit thicker and cut to size. Even spaghetti can be made by hand by rolling the dough into long ropes — it will be thicker and more rustic than store-bought, and that’s okay.
Many pasta shapes start the same way: a flat piece of dough. The difference is how it’s cut. Changing the width or size creates a new shape, even though the process stays simple. This helps kids see that pasta doesn’t have to be complicated or perfect to be homemade.
Using familiar names makes the process feel approachable, and it reinforces an important idea — real food can be made at home with basic tools and a little patience.
The Science Behind Kneading (Made Simple)
When flour and eggs are mixed, proteins in the flour begin to interact. Kneading lines those proteins up and builds a stretchy network called gluten.
That gluten network gives the dough strength. It’s what allows pasta to stretch without tearing, hold its shape when pinched, and stay together in boiling water.
What you should notice while kneading:
The dough goes from rough and shaggy to smooth
It feels firmer and more elastic
It starts to spring back when pressed
This is the dough getting strong.
A simple way to explain it to kids:
“Kneading makes the dough strong.”
Use the heel of your hand (the meaty part near your wrist).
Push the dough away from you
Fold it back over itself
Turn it a quarter turn
Repeat
Push → fold → turn → repeat.
This steady rhythm matters more than strength.
Why Resting the Dough Matters
After kneading, the gluten network is tight and springy. Letting the dough rest gives those stretchy proteins time to relax.
Resting doesn’t undo the strength — it makes that strength easier to work with.
The ideal rest time for pasta dough is 20–30 minutes.
You can rest pasta dough longer if needed. Up to an hour is still great, especially when working with kids or fresh-milled flour. Just be sure to keep it covered so it doesn’t dry out.
If the dough rests for much longer than that, it may start to feel too relaxed or slack. If that happens, a quick knead for 30–60 seconds will bring it back to life.
What’s happening during rest:
Gluten slowly relaxes
Moisture spreads evenly through the dough
The dough becomes easier to roll and shape
What you should notice after resting:
The dough feels softer and calmer
It rolls thinner with less effort
It doesn’t snap back as much when rolled
A simple way to explain it to kids:
“Resting makes the dough relaxed.”
Or even: “The dough just needed a break.”
Try This
🖐️ Feel the Difference
Have kids touch the dough:
before kneading
after kneading
after resting
Ask: Which one feels the softest? Which one is easiest to stretch?
👀 Watch It Change
Roll a small piece of dough before resting and another after resting.
Ask: Which one rolls thinner? Why do you think that is?
Count & Compare (Math in the Kitchen)
For Younger Kids
Count how many bow ties one ball of dough makes
Put them into small groups of 5 or 10
Ask: Which pile has more? How can you tell?
Younger kids can practice:
counting
grouping
comparing sizes
All with something they just made.
For Older Kids
This recipe makes about ½ pound of fresh pasta, which is roughly equal to ¼ pound of dried pasta from the store.
When I want to make more pasta than that, I simply make the recipe bigger.
Ask:
If we double the recipe, how much pasta will we have?
What about triple or quadruple the recipe?
Then let them do the math:
Double: _____ flour, _____ eggs, _____ water, _____ salt, _____ oil
Triple: _____ flour, _____ eggs, _____ water, _____ salt, _____ oil
Quadruple: _____ flour, _____ eggs, _____ water, _____ salt, _____ oil
This shows kids how math is used in real life — not just on paper.
A simple line to tie it together:
“Cooking uses math, even when it doesn’t feel like math.”
Make-Ahead Tip
If you want to prepare this ahead of time, freeze the bow ties in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Once frozen, transfer them to a zip-top bag. They can be cooked straight from the freezer, making this an easy homemade meal on busy days.
Because this pasta contains eggs, it isn’t shelf-stable like the dried pasta you find at the store. Freezing is the best way to store it safely while keeping the texture and flavor just right.
Cooking Fresh vs. Frozen Pasta
Fresh pasta cooks very quickly, usually in 2–3 minutes.
The pasta is done when it’s tender and floating at the surface. Always taste one to be sure.
You can use your pasta right away, but often I place the shaped noodles in a single layer on a cookie sheet and freeze them. Once they’re frozen solid, I transfer them to a gallon zip-top bag for easy meals on busy days. This makes homemade pasta just as convenient as store-bought, while still keeping all the goodness of from-scratch food. If you’re cooking pasta straight from the freezer, simply add a couple of extra minutes to the cook time — there’s no need to thaw first.
Simple Ways We Top Our Pasta
When we made our pasta noodles, I added a little homemade marinara sauce for the kids to try. It was familiar and comforting, and a great first pairing.
For sister class the next day, we tried something different to top our pasta — a simple brown butter sauce I learned to make in college. It’s incredibly easy, cozy, and one of those recipes that feels like home. There was a time I felt guilty making it, worrying I was feeding my girls too much butter. Over the years, I’ve learned to see it differently. Butter is a traditional fat that has been used for generations and provides nutrients that support growing bodies and developing brains.
I usually just add some shredded chicken and call it dinner. It turns the pasta into a complete meal without changing the flavor, which makes it an easy, nourishing option that’s on repeat in our house.
Why Each Ingredient Matters
Flour
Flour is the structure of the dough. When mixed with liquid and kneaded, it forms gluten — a stretchy network that helps the pasta hold together, stretch, and keep its shape in boiling water.
For this class, we used all-purpose flour. You’ll probably notice I don’t use it very often, and I did debate this choice. In the end, I had a strong desire to make this class more approachable and familiar for the kids. Pasta is something many children eat regularly, and making it from scratch — no matter which flour you use — is already a big step toward nourishing, comforting food.
Homemade pasta, even with all-purpose flour, is worlds away from boxed pasta. It’s simple, fresh, and made with intention.
That said, I absolutely love fresh-milled flour. Using wheat with all of its nutrients still intact is my gold standard, and it’s what I use at home whenever I can.
If you’d like to substitute fresh-milled flour, soft white wheat berries or kamut work beautifully (for those of you familiar with milling your own grain).
1 cup flour = 120 grams
Simply weigh out 120 grams of freshly milled flour to replace the all-purpose flour.
A Few Notes When Using Fresh-Milled Flour
Fresh-milled flour absorbs liquid a little differently, so you may need a splash more egg or water
The dough may feel slightly more textured at first — resting it becomes even more important
After resting, the dough will soften and become much easier to roll and shape
Both approaches are valid. For this class, all-purpose flour helped remove barriers and build confidence. At home, fresh-milled flour is a beautiful next step if you’re ready for it.
Eggs
Eggs bind the flour and add richness. They give pasta its golden color and provide protein that helps strengthen the dough so it doesn’t fall apart when cooked.
Salt
Salt adds flavor, but it also strengthens the dough slightly. A small pinch helps balance the taste so the pasta doesn’t come out bland.
Olive Oil (Optional, but Helpful)
Traditionally, egg pasta is made without oil. We include a small amount here to make the dough more forgiving for beginners. Olive oil softens the dough slightly, reduces sticking, and makes rolling and pinching easier for small hands.
Too much oil can weaken the dough, so just a little goes a long way.
The Tools We Used in Class
In class, we kept things simple and used tools that helped without taking over the experience.
We used a pastry cutter to cut the dough into rectangles for the bow ties. It gives the edges a little texture and makes cutting quick and consistent, which is especially helpful when several kids are working at once.
👉 https://amzn.to/4qsZoD4
We also rolled the dough on a pastry mat. This gives kids a clear workspace, helps keep flour contained, and makes cleanup much easier. The link below is for a slightly smaller version than the one I use at home — my full-size mat can feel bulky on small counters, so this size is often a better fit for most kitchens.
👉 https://amzn.to/4biPj7b
Neither of these tools is required. A knife and a clean countertop work just fine. But for group settings, shared kitchens, or families who make pasta often, they can make the process smoother and more enjoyable — especially for kids.
As always, use what you have. Add tools only if they truly serve your space, your rhythm, and your season.
You Don’t Need Special Equipment
You don’t need a pasta machine to make pasta at home. A bowl, a fork, a rolling pin (or even a sturdy jar), and a knife are more than enough to get started.
If the dough feels stiff, let it rest a little longer. If it feels sticky, add a light dusting of flour. Paying attention, adjusting as you go, and learning to read the dough is part of the experience — and part of the lesson.
Using what you already have on hand keeps this project accessible and grounded. It reinforces the idea that real food doesn’t require special tools, just a little time and willingness to try.
That said, if you find yourself wanting to make homemade pasta a regular part of your meals — especially as a primary source of noodles — a few tools can make the process more streamlined. And I fully support that goal.
The first tool I ever added was a simple hand-crank pasta roller. It’s helpful for rolling dough into very thin sheets and for creating more consistent noodles when you want them.
👉 https://amzn.to/49NcB2u
More recently, I added an electric pasta maker. This one mixes the ingredients and presses the dough automatically, which makes homemade pasta much more doable on busy days.
👉 https://amzn.to/49UeRFi
These tools aren’t about replacing the experience — they’re about supporting families who want to feed their kids well, even when time is limited. The heart of pasta making stays the same: simple ingredients, attention, and care.
Use what you have. Add tools if and when they serve your season. Both approaches are valid, and both lead to nourishing food on the table.
What Kids Are Learning (Without a Worksheet)
This project quietly weaves together several skills at once.
There’s math happening as kids measure flour, divide dough, count pieces, and recognize shapes. There’s history too — the simple story of families making pasta long before machines or packaged food existed. And woven through it all are real life skills: patience, coordination, teamwork, and confidence in the kitchen.
There’s science happening as well — right under their hands.
As the dough is mixed, kneaded, and rested, kids are watching ingredients change. They’re feeling textures shift, noticing resistance and softness, and seeing how time and movement affect the dough. These observations don’t need a worksheet to be meaningful. They’re learned through doing, touching, and paying attention.
It’s hands-on learning in its most natural form — the kind that sticks because it’s connected to real food, real work, and real experiences.
Try It at Home
If you decide to make bow tie pasta at home, we’d love to see it. Feel free to tag us on Facebook or Instagram @k2acres.
These kinds of kitchen projects don’t just teach skills — they build confidence, connection, and memories that last far beyond the lesson.
