Cooking Lesson #94 Spicy Fresh Corn Carbonara

Spicy Fresh Corn Carbonara

How you doin’? Come stai? In my best Google Italian.
 
My good Sicilian friend, Chef Celestino Drago, makes a fantastic Carbonara. He always cooks his classic Italian dishes with techniques that have a contemporary flair. Being that we are right in the middle of fresh corn season, I decided to do the same with my summer Spicy Corn Carbonara. During this time of year, I buy 6 ears per week to have it on hand for any occasion.
 
This recipe is pretty straight-forward. Don’t just dump the pasta and water through a strainer. Remove the pasta with a pair of tongs and reserve the starchy pasta water as that will make carbonara sauce creamier (along with the cream and cheese).
 
The is a delightful summer pasta dish that will become a staple in your home as it has in mine. It is best served with a nice Italian white wine. A Pinot Grigio is a light, dry white and has become a summer favorite in the United States. Produced in Veneto, Pinot Grigio, at its best, has a subtle, lemony, slightly nutty flavor. Pinot Grigio goes well with simply grilled chicken, salads, seafood, and my Spicy Corn Carbonara. 

Buon appetite!
 
Prep time:   15 minutes
Cook time:  30 minutes
Yield:  4 to 6 servings
 
Ingredients
4 ears fresh corn, uncooked
4 strips raw bacon, chopped
1/2 cup red onion, minced
1-1/2 tablespoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
8 ounces dry bucatini (or spaghetti or linguine)
2 large egg yolks                                                                                               
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons for garnish
1 tablespoon freshly-ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chiffonade cut, for garnish
 
Directions

1. Cut the corn off the cob with a sharp knife. Transfer kernels to a bowl and firmly scrape the knife against the cob to release any liquid. Do not discard the cobs.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat add the chopped raw bacon and cook until it’s very crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside.
3. Add the red onion to the bacon fat and cook, stirring occasionally, until it’s tender, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the corn and garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 3 minutes.
5. Season with the salt and red pepper flakes and hold over very low heat.
6. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 8 to 12 minutes. Test it for tenderness before you scoop it out of the water. Reserve at least 1-1/2 cups of the starchy, salted pasta water.
7. Stir the reserved pasta water into the corn mixture. Raise the heat to medium and bring the liquid to a gentle simmer, and add the pasta to the skillet and toss to combine.
8. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and cream. Add to the skillet and toss well to coat.
9. Add the Parmesan, plenty of black pepper and reserved bacon and toss to combine.
10. Top each plate with some of the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan, black pepper and the fresh basil.

ChefSecret:

• I like that ultra-sweet fresh corn flavor, so I take the stripped corn cobs and put them in the boiling water along with the pasta. You’d be surprised how this little secret really makes a difference.
• When a pasta recipe calls for salted water, don’t be bashful… salt the water so that the water tastes like the sea. Serve this meal with a medium sized Caesar Salad and a nice Italian white wine.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: Dictionary Definition of Coronacoaster (noun)—The ups and downs of a pandemic. One day you’re loving your bubble, doing workouts in front of a mirror (admiring what you see), baking chocolate chip cookies and going for long meaningful walks and the next moment you’re crying, drinking gin for breakfast out of the bottle and missing people you don’t even like.
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