Made this last night, another good combo and easy to throw together:
1/3 pound of thick cut pancetta, diced
1 onion, diced
1 large bag of baby spinach
3 ears of corn, shucked, kernals removed
1 clove garlic
olive oil
1/2 glass white wine
about a 1/2 cup of stock or reserved pasta water
1 pound orrichette
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes
Good parm
Cook pasta in lots of salted, boiling water. Try to time it so the pasta is done right around the time the rest of the stuff is good to go (that's always the trick eh?). If you don't have any stock around, reserve a coffee cup of the pasta water.
In a large pan big enough to hold the finished pasta, cook off the pancetta until brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
Pour off most of the pancetta fat, then cook down the onion until lightly browned and soft, adding a little olive oil if it's too dry. Then add the spinach and a pinch of salt and cook down - it will wilt and you'll end up with a tiny fraction of what was there, so start with a lot more than you think you need. Add the garlic and toss for a bit until fragrant. Add the corn and toss well. Make sure the heat is high, then add the wine and toss. When the wine is reduced down to about gone, add the stock or pasta water, bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and toss with the pasta and the reserved pancetta.
The sauce should coat the pasta and remain fairly loose - if it's clumping, add a little more olive oil. If it's still steaming, that means the sauce is still reducing, so give it a minute or two if it seems soupy. Add a little fresh grated parm and black and red pepper, toss again, then check your seasoning again and add salt as needed.
Serve with more fresh grated parm and a twist or two of black pepper. We drank a tasty syrah but there are lots of wines that will work with this, white or red.
This is a great combination of flavors and textures, I love how the crisp fresh corn works with the deeper flavors of pancetta and carmelized onion. The spinach keeps it a little lighter and helps make it work as a one-dish meal - don't really need a salad. I didn't have any but a little fresh parsley or basil would have been a nice touch too. Yum!!
1/3 pound of thick cut pancetta, diced
1 onion, diced
1 large bag of baby spinach
3 ears of corn, shucked, kernals removed
1 clove garlic
olive oil
1/2 glass white wine
about a 1/2 cup of stock or reserved pasta water
1 pound orrichette
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes
Good parm
Cook pasta in lots of salted, boiling water. Try to time it so the pasta is done right around the time the rest of the stuff is good to go (that's always the trick eh?). If you don't have any stock around, reserve a coffee cup of the pasta water.
In a large pan big enough to hold the finished pasta, cook off the pancetta until brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
Pour off most of the pancetta fat, then cook down the onion until lightly browned and soft, adding a little olive oil if it's too dry. Then add the spinach and a pinch of salt and cook down - it will wilt and you'll end up with a tiny fraction of what was there, so start with a lot more than you think you need. Add the garlic and toss for a bit until fragrant. Add the corn and toss well. Make sure the heat is high, then add the wine and toss. When the wine is reduced down to about gone, add the stock or pasta water, bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and toss with the pasta and the reserved pancetta.
The sauce should coat the pasta and remain fairly loose - if it's clumping, add a little more olive oil. If it's still steaming, that means the sauce is still reducing, so give it a minute or two if it seems soupy. Add a little fresh grated parm and black and red pepper, toss again, then check your seasoning again and add salt as needed.
Serve with more fresh grated parm and a twist or two of black pepper. We drank a tasty syrah but there are lots of wines that will work with this, white or red.
This is a great combination of flavors and textures, I love how the crisp fresh corn works with the deeper flavors of pancetta and carmelized onion. The spinach keeps it a little lighter and helps make it work as a one-dish meal - don't really need a salad. I didn't have any but a little fresh parsley or basil would have been a nice touch too. Yum!!
