Print

Corn Carbonara

Easy Corn Pasta Carbonara on a plate.

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 2 reviews

This easy recipe for Corn Carbonara swaps out the eggs for both pureed and whole corn kernels for a light and lovely flavor. And don’t worry, the bacon is still in there!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 12 ounces linguine
  • 8 ounces of your favorite bacon, chopped
  • Kernels from 6 ears of corn
  • 1/2 cup half and half
  • 1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
  • Sea salt and black pepper
  • Chopped fresh basil for garnish

Instructions

  1. Cook the pasta according to package directions in heavily salted water.  Scoop out a cup of the pasta water right before you drain it and set aside.
  2. While the pasta is cooking, cook up the bacon in a large deep skillet until it is done the way you like it.  Scoop it out with a slotted spoon and drain it on paper towels, leaving the drippings in the skillet.
  3. Add half of the corn kernels and the half and half to your food processor or blender and process until it is pretty smooth (it’s a-ok if there are still some little pieces in there).
  4. Put the drained pasta and the pureed corn mixture in the skillet and toss.  Add the parmesan cheese and toss again, drizzling in some of the pasta water if you need to loosen up the sauce a little.
  5. Add the rest of the corn kernels and the bacon and toss one more time.  Give it a taste and add some salt and pepper if you think it needs it.
  6. Divide among plates, sprinkle on some parmesan and the fresh basil leaves and serve it up!

Notes

    • Corn: You can use any version of corn that you like, from white to bi-color to yellow. Ideally you will get it at your local farmer’s market, but corn from the supermarket is also fine.

    • Half & Half: You can swap in light cream if you like, which is a little richer but not as heavy as, um, heavy cream.

    • Pasta: We love linguine for this recipe, but you can use pretty much any pasta you like, including a short pasta like bow-ties or penne.

    • Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated Parmesan is always our choice for this recipe…you can get it pre-grated in the specialty cheese section of your supermarket, or (even better!) grate it yourself at home.