Corn Pasta

This is a favorite in my house, I have probably made it about 30 times in the last 2 years, it is my boyfriends favorite meal that I make.  It was adapted from Rachael Ray's Pasta Carbonara with Corn and Chiles.  Since I do not eat pork I make it with Turkey Bacon and it is still amazing.  We like a little more heat so I use Jalapeno Peppers.  I personally like to make it with rotini or penne pasta so I get a little bit of everything in each bit.  In the summer I will make this with fresh corn but the rest of the year I use frozen sweet corn.

Timing Hint:  Do not add the pasta to the boiling water until your corn is cooked and you are ready to add the garlic, pepper and thyme.  Doing this makes sure that your pasta and sauce are ready at the same time.

Tempering Egg Yolks:  Just in case you do not know what it means to temper the egg yolks.  Basically you are gently cooking the egg yolks so you are not eating raw egg in your pasta while making it super creamy.  To temper the egg yolks, crack them into a bowl (saving the whites for another use) then you slowly add the hot pasta water (that was just boiling) in batches while whisking the whole time.  If they get clumpy, and look like scrambled eggs, you added the water too fast and need to start over.      

Corn Pasta

Ingredients:

1 pound rotini or penne pasta

3 tablespoons EVOO

1 package Turkey Bacon, sliced 

1 1/2 to 2 cups thawed frozen corn kernels

2 Jalapeño Peppers, seeded and finely chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced 

2 tablespoons fresh thyme

1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/2 cup dry white wine

Salt and Pepper, to taste 

3 egg yolks, beaten

1/2 cup each grated (nutty) parmigiano-reggiano and (tangy) pecorino-romano cheese, Plus more for topping

A handful chives, snipped into 1-inch pieces

Instructions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water (or pull it out just before draining).

2. Heat the EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Turkey Bacon and brown until desired crispiness  Add the corn kernels and lightly brown their edges, stirring, about 5 minutes. Add the chile peppers, garlic and thyme and stir for 2-3 minutes. Add the parsley, salt and pepper, and wine and simmer on low heat.

3. In a small bowl, beat the reserved pasta cooking water into the egg yolks to temper them.

4. Add the pasta and egg yolks to the corn sauce and toss. Remove from the heat, add a handful of each cheese and toss vigorously to form a silky sauce, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve the pasta in shallow bowls and top with the chives and remaining cheese.