It’s 1000 degrees with 500 percent humidity in Boston today. It’s hard to see your way to cooking a nice hot meal. Yesterday we just ate a giant bucket of hummus with pita from Rami’s.
But tonight, my ambitious mom (who doesn’t have air conditioning, btw) decided to make this pasta dish she’s been meaning to make for a while now. It comes from the New York Times by way of my dad, aka my mom’s personal recipe clipper.
Orecchiette with Corn, Jalapeño, Feta and Basil. All parties agreed it’s a keeper. The jalapeño really just adds a bit of interesting, subtle flavor. Don’t expect something very spicy. Pasta with corn is always a favorite of mine, this corn happened to be fresh off the cob which didn’t hurt the flavor one little bit.
Have at it:
• Orecchiette With Corn, Jalapeño, Feta and Basil •
from the New York Times
serves 4
Ingredients
1 pound orecchiette
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 jalapeño, finely chopped
5 ears corn, shucked and kernels removed (about 3 1/2 to 4 cups kernels)
Kosher salt
8 ounces crumbled feta cheese
½ cup torn basil leaves, plus more for serving
Flaky salt, for serving (optional)
Directions
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until it is just short of al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta cooking water.
While pasta cooks, make the sauce: In a 12-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add jalapeño, and cook until softened, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add corn, and cook until it begins to brown in spots, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt. Add 1/4 cup of pasta water and bring to simmer and cook until reduced by half, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Add pasta to skillet, tossing to coat with sauce. Add feta cheese and an additional 1/4 cup of pasta water, tossing until pasta is slick and glossy with sauce. If needed, add in another 1/4 cup pasta water. Stir in basil. Transfer to a large bowl and scatter with remaining basil. Season with flaky salt, if desired.
You will be shocked to learn that I didn’t think it needed any salt.
