Sunday, August 21, 2011

Summer Corn Linguine

One of my favorite things about summer is fresh corn! I love being able to stop at a farm stand on the way home from work and pick up a dozen ears of just picked corn. It's so sweet and perfect. This year has been a good year for corn and we've been eating as much of it as we can. I usually just broil it, slather on the butter and sprinkle with some salt.

This recipe was a nice change and something I'll definitely be making again before the summer is over! While the recipe is a little long, it's so worth it!


1 pound linguine (or other flat noodle - whatever you have in your pantry)
6 slices triple-smoked bacon, chopped
6 ears of corn on the cob, shucked
3 shallots, finely chopped
salt and pepper
1 cup half-and-half
2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/2 cup vegetable stock
few dashes of hot sauce
4 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium to medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook for a few minutes to crisp the bacon and render it's fat. Once cooked, removed from pan and drain on a paper towel lined plate. Remove 75% of the grease from the pan.

Using a corn scraper (or inverting a small bowl in a larger bowl), scrape the corn off the cob. Add three quarters of the kernels and liquid to the large skillet. Add the cooked bacon and the shallots to the corn. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until corn is tender. Add the tomatoes to slightly cook.

 Heat a large pot of water to boil. Salt the water and cook the pasta to al dente.

In a food processor, add the remaining corn and puree with the half and half. While the corn is pureeing, add the stock and thyme to the skillet of cooked corn. Reduce heat and then stir in the creamed corn mixture. Reduce the heat to simmer. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes stirring frequently as the sauce will thicken. Add the hot sauce and season once more with salt and pepper.

Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce. Add parsley and about a 1/2 cup of cheese to the sauce. To serve, divide among 4 to 6 bowls and top with the remaining cheese and fresh basil if desired.

Slightly adapted from Rachel Ray's Look & Cook cookbook

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