Pasta with Corn Pesto

The weather in Atlanta, lately, says summer.  I am not complaining.  Though I have to admit, the things I am craving will be better when its actually summer.  Such as this corn pesto.  This is a house favorite, everyone in my family loves this.  So while it may be completely awesome when made with fresh, in season corn, no one complains when I use its frozen counterpart.

Which is what I did last week.  I see corn on the cob in the supermarket and farmers market.  But I can't imagine how it must taste.  Also, when using frozen corn, I don't have to shuck and clean it and this becomes a quick and easy dinner.

This recipe hails from Bon Appetit in August 2010.   I remember seeing it in there, but it wasn't until Josie blogged it that it really jumped out at me.  I made it the next week, albeit with a few adjustments.  And I've made it several times since, pretty much the same way every time.  The only difference comes down to if I use fresh corn or not.  I suppose if I wanted a vegetarian dish I could omit the bacon, but I cannot imagine omitting the bacon.  Ever.

The major change I make from the original is that I omit the pinenuts.  My husband does not like nuts in his food, so I just don't use them.   Honestly, he probably would not notice if I did use them.  But the first time I made it I didn't even have pinenuts in the house, and it came out just fine.  

I can see us having this a lot this summer.  Served hot and freshly made, or as a cold pasta salad the next day, the flavors cannot be beat.

Pasta with Corn Pesto
recipe adapted from Pink Parsley, originally from Bon Appetit, August 2012

4 slices bacon, cut into cubes
4 cups corn kernels (either frozen or cut from about 6 large ears of corn)
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional for serving
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
8 ounces pasta, cooked according to package directions
3/4 cup coarsely torn fresh basil leaves, divided

Cook the bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp and brown, stirring often.   Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel to drain.  Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of drippings from the skillet.   Add the corn, garlic, 1 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper to the skillet.  Saute over medium high heat until corn is tender but not brown, abut 4 minutes.  (If using frozen corn, I put it in the skillet frozen.)  Transfer 1 1/2 cups of corn mixture to a bowl and reserve.   Scrape remaining corn mixture into a food processor.   Add 1/2 cup Parmesan and with the machine running, add olive oil through the feed tube and blend until almost smooth.   Set aside.

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but firm, stirring occasionally.  Drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups of cooking liquid.   Return pasta to the pot.  Add the corn pesto, reserved corn kernels and 1/2 cup of basil leaves.  Toss to combine adding reserved pasta water if needed to thin to desired consistency.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer to a large bowl and spinkle with remaining basil leaves, reserved bacon and additional Parmesan cheese.
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