Carbonara Pasta with Corn, Bacon, and Jalapeno
Jalapenos are the most popular chile peppers in the US. This is probably due to the availability and versatility of the chile. Jalapenos have a balanced combination of flavor and heat.
The demand for these have caused breeders to develop a broad range of varieties. You can now get jalapenos with various heat level and sizes. These can be used in salsas, stuffed, or eaten straight with cheeseburgers (my personal favorite).
Ingredients:
1 jalapeno chile, stemmed, seeded and chopped
5 bacon slices
2 cups fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 pound fettuccine
3 large eggs
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
chopped fresh cilantro, for serving
salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions:
Remove the stem, then cut out and discard the seeds and ribs from jalapeno. Finely chop the jalapeno chile and set it aside.
Cook the bacon slices in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Leaving the fat in the skillet, transfer the cooked bacon slices to some paper towels and allow them to cool and drain. Return the skillet to the heat and add the corn, jalapeno and chopped garlic. Cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the corn begins to turn brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cream and bring the ingredients to a simmer, then remove the skillet from the heat and keep warm.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat and add the fettuccine. Cook the pasta until barely tender, about 8 minutes, then drain well and return the pasta to the pot.
Coarsely chop the bacon, then beat the eggs in a small bowl. Gradually whisk them into the warm cream mixture and pour it over the fettuccine in the pot. Add the Parmesan cheese and reserved bacon, then mix well. Season the dish carefully with some salt (it could already be salty enough from the bacon and the cheese) and a generous grinding of the black pepper. Serve the pasta hot, sprinkled with some chopped fresh cilantro.
Recipe from “The Simpler the Better: Sensational One-Dish Meals” by Leslie Revsin with Rick Rodgers, ISBN: 0-471-48233-1.