Summer Corn Fettucine

Do you have ear corn up the wazoo? If you're looking for other ways to eat it fresh or after you've put it up in the freezer, here is the recipe for you! This recipe (and photo) originally come from Brenda's Canadian Kitchen and includes my adaptations below.

salt

1 pound fettuccine
6 slices smoky bacon, chopped
6 ears corn on the cob, shucked
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
black pepper
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tsp thyme
1/2 cup water
a few dashes of red pepper flakes
a couple sprigs of chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 frozen basil cube (Trader Joe's)

Heat a large pot of water to boil for the pasta. Salt the water and cook until boiling, give a good stir, lid the pot and turn off the heat.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the bacon to the pan and cook for a few minutes to crisp the bacon and render its fat.

Place a small bowl inverted in a large bowl, steady the corn cobs on the smaller bowl, and scrape the kernels off the ears. Add three quarters of the kernels and the liquids to the bacon. Add the shallots and bell pepper to the corn mixture and season liberally with salt and pepper. Cook until tender, 5-6 minutes.

Add the remaining corn to the food processor and puree with the cream. Stir in the thyme and the stock or wine into the corn mixture in the skillet, reduce for a minute, then stir in the corn-cream mixture and basil cube. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, to thicken. Add the hot sauce or cayenne pepper and adjust the salt and pepper.

Drain the pasta, then toss with the sauce, parsley, and cheese.

Serves 6.

Pasta All’Amatriciana

photo credit

1/2 package bacon, chopped
3 garlic cloves
1 red onion, chopped
1 teaspoons hot red pepper flakes
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
26 oz. can tomato sauce
1 pound pasta
1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
Freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan (I omit)

1. In a stockpot, bring 6 quarts of water to a boil, then add 2 tablespoons of salt.
2. Fry the bacon in a pan in a single layer and cook over medium heat.
3. Place the bacon on a plate.
4. Pour off about half of the bacon fat — leaving enough to coat the garlic, onion and red pepper flakes (save the extra bacon fat for another use). Return the bacon to the pan with the vegetables, and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or so. Season with salt and pepper, add the tomato sauce, reduce the heat, and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
5. Cook the pasta in the boiling water according to the package directions, until al dente.
6. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce with the chopped parsley leaves.
7. Serve with freshly grated Pecorino (or Parmesan) cheese.