Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the bowtie pasta until al dente, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water before draining. Set the drained pasta aside.

Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it into smaller pieces as it cooks. Drain excess grease if necessary.

Add the chopped onion and minced garlic to the skillet. Cook for a few minutes, until the onion has softened and the garlic is fragrant.

Mix in the Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, and smoked paprika. Cook the seasoned beef mixture for about 1 minute.

Add the butter and allow it to melt, then pour in the beef broth. Scrape the browned bits from the skillet surface and let the mixture simmer briefly.

Lower the heat and stir in the half-and-half and freshly grated Parmesan. Keep stirring until the cheese has melted and the sauce becomes smooth and creamy.

Season the sauce with salt and black pepper. Add the red pepper flakes if using.

Add the cooked bowtie pasta to the skillet and gently toss until thoroughly coated with the beef and Parmesan sauce. If the sauce is too thick, stir in small amounts of the reserved pasta water as needed.

Finish with freshly chopped parsley and serve hot.