Summer’s End Pasta

Celebrate the last lazy hazy days with this easy recipe for summer’s end pasta, filled summer vegetable flavors of fresh local tomatoes, corn and herbs, all topped with creamy, dreamy fresh ricotta cheese.  Let’s savor these wonderful summer tastes, because the pumpkin won’t be far behind!

I named this recipe Summer’s End Pasta not to make us all sad that yes, summer is winding down (and I have to admit, I am looking forward to those first cool mornings of fall!) but to remind all of us that now is the time to take advantage of this glorious moment when the local corn, tomatoes and herbs are all in season all at the same time!  Toss in some bacon and some creamy ricotta cheese and you have a summer pasta dish that you’ll remember all the way until next Memorial Day.  Ready to put those summer veggies to work?  Let’s make it!

It’s certainly been an eventful summer around these parts.  I said a grateful goodbye to my amazing job at HarperCollins so that I could spend more time on this here website.  I still love and miss them!

In other eventful news, we said YES to the DRESS!  I’m not crying, you’re crying.

Now that I have a working from home situation, my mama and I get to have lunch every Tuesday.  We had our first weekly lunch at Taco Bell, because she had never been before.  I KNOW.

We got to spend some time in our beloved Vermont, including lounging around at the outside bar at the Lake House at beautiful Lake Bomoseen.  Can you say, dinner with a view?

And of course, I kicked off my new full-time gig as publisher, administrative assistant and almost everything in between at Framed Cooks.  With a lot of help from WordPress Barista, Living Loving Lancaster, my amazing Southern husband, my chief furry foot warmer Dixie, and all of YOU.

The support and encouragement for this big new step has been completely amazing, and I am so grateful.  Among other things, it’s given me the chance to work on writing even more recipes, and so here we go with this easy one for summer’s end pasta.  I want to start with the ricotta, because while you absolutely CAN use the supermarket version in this one, here comes my regular plea for you to try making your own.  Three ingredients, 15 minutes, fresh ricotta.  Here’s a quick video to show you just how easy it really is…

And here’s a link to that easy recipe! One way or the other, once you have your ricotta, this recipe calls for cooking up some bacon, and then quickly sautéing those summer veggies in the drippings.  Some pasta, some fresh herbs, and you have yourself a plate of summer’s end pasta deliciousness.

What are you making sure you cook up during these last summer days?  Tell me in the comments!

Summer’s End Pasta

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• Author: Kate Morgan Jackson
• Yield: 4

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Ingredients

• 8 ounces short pasta
• 4 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• Kernels from two ears of corn
• 2 tablepoons butter
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• Chopped fresh basil and/or parsley

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Instructions

1. Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Scoop out a cup of pasta water before draining and set aside.
2. Cook bacon in large deep skillet until crispy. Remove with slotted spoon and put on paper towels to drain, leaving drippings in skillet.
3. Add tomatoes to skillet and cook over medium high heat until starting to soften, about five minutes.
4. Add corn and cook for another 3 minutes.
5. Add pasta to skillet along with butter, Drizzle in enough of the pasta water to make a light sauce.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.
6. Take off the heat and toss with the bacon. Divide among plates and top with a spoonful of ricotta and a scattering of herbs. Serve at once.

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