Tagliatelle with Corn, Tomatoes, “Onion-Bacon” & Basil
Last year (I type this as if any of us have a sense of time anymore), Jenny Rosenstrach of Dinner a Love Story fame, released a new cookbook entitled, The Weekday Vegetarians. The concept is geared towards omnivores who are looking to reduce their meat intake, whether it be for health reasons or concern for the planet. To sell the plan to her family, she created bold vegetarian recipes to be enjoyed throughout the week and saved meaty splurges for the weekend. Makes sense to me!
One of the first recipes to be released prior to the cookbook launch was Tagliatelle with Corn, Tomatoes, “Onion-Bacon” & Basil and for whatever reason, I couldn’t get it out of my head. Of course, if you’ve been a Sly Rooster follower for some time, you know that I am a fan of the corn-tomato combo (for example, Corn and Tomato Salad with Spicy Bagna Cauda and Roasted Peanuts, Corn and Tomato Pie), so this recipe’s appeal is not much of a mystery.
As with everything, the more peak season produce you are able to use, the better, but since the corn and tomatoes cook slightly to make this fresh, bright sauce, the heat will coax out sweetness on even less then prime specimens. Not sure that I got a bacony flavor from the onion but they were rich, caramelized and a perfect element to round out this dish. My whole family thoroughly enjoyed this “different” pasta dish and I look forward to making it again as the produce begins to brighten our local stands. Enjoy!
Tagliatelle with Corn, Tomatoes, “Onion-Bacon” & Basil
Ingredients
- 1 med red onion sliced
- 4 Tbls olive oil divided
- 16 oz tagliatelle or spaghetti, linguine, fettuccini
- 3 Tbls unsalted butter
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tsp salt plus more to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 4 c corn kernels from about 4 medium ears
- 3-3.5 c roughly chopped ripe tomatoes + their juices about 3 medium tomatoes
- 1/2 c grated fresh Parmesean cheese
- 4 leaves fresh basil julienned
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
- In a separate large pot or Dutch oven set over medium-low heat, combine the onion and 3 Tbls of olive oil an stir every few minutes.
- Cook the pasta in the boiling water according to package directions. When the pasta is just about done, reserve 1 c of the pasta water, then drain the pasta and toss in the strainer with the remaining tablespoon of oil to prevent sticking.
- Add the butter to the red onion, which should be caramelly and slightly shrivled at this point, along with the garlic, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook for another minute. Add the corn and tomatoes and cook until the vegetables release a lot of liquid, another 5 minutes. It should look like a bright, chunky sauce.
- Add the pasta and Parmesean to the vegetables, tossing to distribute and coat the pasta with the sauce. Add a drizzle of pasta water as needed to help the cheese distribute evenly. Top with basil and serve.