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Fresh Corn Carbonara

A dark grey dish of corn carbonara with a fork next to it.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell

A raw creamed corn sauce takes the place of the traditional eggs in this silky summer-fresh "carbonara."

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    20 minutes

  • Yield

    4 Servings

Ingredients

12

ounces spaghetti or linguine

Kosher salt

6

slices thick-cut bacon (about 6 ounces), cut into ¼" strips

4

ears of corn, kernels cut off (about 3 cups), cobs reserved

½

cup heavy cream

Freshly ground black pepper

½

cup grated Parmesan (about 2 ounces), plus more to serve

½

cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped, divided

Need to make a substitution?

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente; drain.

    Step 2

    Meanwhile, fry bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain (reserve fat). Scrape excess corn milk from cobs into a blender by firmly running the back of a chef's knife down the sides. Add cream, half of the corn kernels, ¼ tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. pepper, and 2 Tbsp. reserved bacon fat. Purée until a smooth sauce forms.

    Step 3

    Toss hot pasta with corn sauce, ½ cup Parmesan, and half each of the remaining corn kernels, bacon, and basil in a large bowl.

    Step 4

    Divide pasta among bowls and top with remaining corn kernels, bacon, and basil. Season with pepper and top with Parmesan.