Fettuccine With Sweet Corn “Pesto”

Serves 4

To make this a vegetarian dish, omit the bacon and use olive oil instead. You can also make the sauce with more traditional pine nuts, but toasted walnuts lend a nice nutty flavor and bitterness to the otherwise sweet sauce.

10 Kosher ounces salt, fettuccine to taste 3 slices bacon, thick-cut cut into ½-inch pieces 1 tablespoon minced

garlic 3 cups fresh corn kernels (from about 4 ears) Ground black pepper, to

taste 1⁄ 3 cup toasted walnuts ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese + more for garnish 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice + more to taste ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons

olive oil Torn basil leaves, for

garnish

Instructions:

Cook the fettuccine in a large pot of well-salted boiling water according to package directions, until al dente. Drain, saving ½ cup of the pasta water.

While the pasta is cooking, make the pesto. Place the bacon in a large frying pan set over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until dark brown and crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a paper towel to drain, leaving the bacon fat in the pan.

Add the garlic and corn, and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes, until the corn is slightly softened. Season to taste with salt and pepper; set aside to cool slightly.

Using a blender or food processor, puree the corn mixture with the walnuts, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice and olive oil until well-blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper, adding more lemon juice if desired.

Mix the fettuccine with the corn mixture, thinning with pasta cooking water if needed so that the sauce coats the noodles well. Toss in the reserved bacon pieces, and garnish with plenty of torn basil and extra Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Per serving:

699 calories, 22 g protein, 76 g carbohydrates, 35 g fat (7 g saturated), 17 mg cholesterol, 436 mg sodium, 8 g fiber.