Saturdays with Rachael Ray: Summer Sweet Corn Fettucine

This week for Taste and Tell's Saturdays with Rachael Ray, I'm sharing a really yummy pasta dish. I saw Rachael make this on a recent episode of 30 Minute Meals, and I knew immediately that I wanted to try it. It looked and sounded incredible, and really intriguing too. Corn is not typically an ingredient you see in that much in pasta dishes, but I was definitely pleasantly surprised. We all loved this!

This has all the flavors of corn chowder, but the ingredients are all mixed up in pasta instead of soup. I got some really sweet corn from the farmer’s market, and I loved how the sweetness of it and the red bell pepper balanced out the salty bacon and cheese. And then, of course, there was the fresh basil:

If that doesn’t scream summer, I don’t know what does.

In summary (or “summery,” ha ha): this was very good, very simple, and will definitely be in the regular rotation at our house.

Summer Sweet Corn Fettucine
source: slightly adapted from Rachael Ray

Salt
1 pound fettuccine
6 slices bacon, chopped
6 ears corn on the cob, shucked
1 onion, finely chopped
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
A few dashes of hot sauce
1 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 cup sweet basil leaves, cut in a chiffonade

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil over medium heat. Salt the water, add the pasta and cook to al dente.

2. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet with a drizzle of olive oil over medium to medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook for a few minutes until rendered and crisp.

3. Put a small bowl inverted into a large bowl, steady the corn cobs on the smaller bowl and scrape the ears. Add three-quarters of the scraped corn and any corn liquid to the pan with the bacon. Add the onions and red pepper and liberally season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the vegetables are tender, 5 to 6 minutes.

4. Add the remaining corn and half-and-half to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.

5. Pour the stock into the corn and vegetables and simmer over low heat for a minute to reduce. Stir in the thyme and corn-cream mixture and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, to thicken. Add the hot sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.

6. Drain the pasta and add it to a large serving bowl. Pour in the sauce, add about 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese, and toss. Top with basil and pass the remaining cheese at the table.