Mon 22 Jun 2009
As usual, this is my variation of something I found elsewhere, this time on Epicurious.
My idea for this pasta was to create a sauce that would capitalize on the inherent creaminess of fresh corn, and to use the vegetables in both their uncooked and cooked forms. Fresh, good local corn is the key to this being fabulous I think.
The resulting dish can be made with our without dairy, and is quite rich and satisfying either way.
Items
- 4 ears fresh sweet corn on the cob, husked and washed
- 1 large zucchini, skin on, cut into 1/2 inch dice
- 1 1/2 cups shelled baby peas, fresh or frozen
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 2 Tb olive oil or butter (your preference)
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
- 1 lb linguine
- 1/4 cup cream (optional)
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
Method
- Over the sink (its messy), cut the kernels from the corn, reserving the cobs.
- Cook the linguine according to the package directions in well-salted boiling water. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.
- In a blender, process half of the corn kernels, plus half of the zucchini and peas, until smooth. Scrape the cobs with a knife to release the juice into the blender, along with 1/3 of the basil, and process for a few seconds more.
- Heat a chef’s pan over medium heat. Melt the butter (or heat the oil) and saute the shallot until translucent, 3-4 mins.
- Add the reserved corn, peas, and zucchini, and saute over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is softened.
- Turn the heat down to low, and add the sauce from the blender, plus the optional cream, and cook very gently just heated through. The idea here is to not lose the raw taste from the blender portion of the sauce.
- Add at least 1 tsp salt and some black pepper to your taste.
- When the pasta is finished cooking, toss it with the sauce and remaining basil leaves, adding a bit of the reserved pasta water and adjusting the seasoning as needed. It will be a saucy dish, but the sauce is light enough that it is pleasant and not overwhelming.
- Serve with the grated cheese as desired.
Serves 4-6.