Tagliatelle with Corn, Tomatoes, "Onion-Bacon" & Basil
Ingredients
1medred onionsliced
4Tblsolive oildivided
16oztagliatelleor spaghetti, linguine, fettuccini
3Tblsunsalted butter
1clovegarlicminced
1tspsaltplus more to taste
freshly ground black pepperto taste
pinchred pepper flakes
4ccorn kernelsfrom about 4 medium ears
3-3.5croughly chopped ripe tomatoes + their juicesabout 3 medium tomatoes
1/2cgrated fresh Parmesean cheese
4leavesfresh basiljulienned
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.