![This is my attempt at an all-local late summer pasta. The recipe I found randomly as I wondered about the Internets. It caught my eye because I was pretty sure that everything but the cheese and noodles could be found locally (and maybe the noodles too if I’d tried harder). I bought corn and onions at the farmer’s market on Wednesday and local green beans, parsley and jalapeños at the Arbor Farms Market on Stadium. That’s a great store by the way; they have an wide selection of local produce and meat and their prices are generally lower than at Whole Foods.
Try it out. The leftovers last forever.
Also, learn about parsley and how to freeze it in log-form here. These Michigan winters demand a little preparation.
Pasta With Caramelized Onions, Green Beans And Fresh Corn
Makes 4 servings
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups thinly sliced sweet onion (from 1 large onion)
1 lb. dried pasta like orecchiette [“little ears”] or farfalle [bowtie]
½ lb. fresh green beans, washed, trimmed, and sliced on the diagonal into 1-inch lengths
1 cup fresh corn kernels (from about 2 ears)
1 jalapeño, stemmed, halved lengthwise, seeded, and thinly sliced crosswise [I used 2, more about peppers later]
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup grated Percorino Romano cheese [I used my Parmigiano-Reggiano]
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and a large pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is beginning tosoften and brown, about 5 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the onion is very soft and a light golden brown, about 15 more minutes (if the onion begins to look like it’s burning, add 2 tablespoons warm water to lower the heat).
Put the pasta in the boiling water and cook until just shy of al dente, about 9 minutes. Add the green beans to the pasta water in the last minute of cooking.
While the pasta cooks, add the corn, jalapeño and a pinch of salt to the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn kernels begin to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Reserve ½ cup of the pasta and green bean cooking water and drain the pasta and green beans together in a colander. Return the pasta and green beans to the pot with 2 tablespoons of the reserved water. Add the onion mixture and toss over medium heat until green beans are crisp-tender and the pasta is perfectly al dente, 1 to 2 minutes. Add more of the pasta water as necessary to keep the dish moist. Season to taste with salt and pepper, transfer to warm shallow bowls, and top each serving with the percorino Romano and parsley.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kp90owEjF91qzfczoo1_500.jpg)
This is my attempt at an all-local late summer pasta. The recipe I found randomly as I wondered about the Internets. It caught my eye because I was pretty sure that everything but the cheese and noodles could be found locally (and maybe the noodles too if I’d tried harder). I bought corn and onions at the farmer’s market on Wednesday and local green beans, parsley and jalapeños at the Arbor Farms Market on Stadium. That’s a great store by the way; they have an wide selection of local produce and meat and their prices are generally lower than at Whole Foods.
Try it out. The leftovers last forever.
Also, learn about parsley and how to freeze it in log-form here. These Michigan winters demand a little preparation.
Pasta With Caramelized Onions, Green Beans And Fresh Corn
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cups thinly sliced sweet onion (from 1 large onion)
- 1 lb. dried pasta like orecchiette [“little ears”] or farfalle [bowtie]
- ½ lb. fresh green beans, washed, trimmed, and sliced on the diagonal into 1-inch lengths
- 1 cup fresh corn kernels (from about 2 ears)
- 1 jalapeño, stemmed, halved lengthwise, seeded, and thinly sliced crosswise [I used 2, more about peppers later]
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup grated Percorino Romano cheese [I used my Parmigiano-Reggiano]
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and a large pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is beginning tosoften and brown, about 5 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the onion is very soft and a light golden brown, about 15 more minutes (if the onion begins to look like it’s burning, add 2 tablespoons warm water to lower the heat).
Put the pasta in the boiling water and cook until just shy of al dente, about 9 minutes. Add the green beans to the pasta water in the last minute of cooking.
While the pasta cooks, add the corn, jalapeño and a pinch of salt to the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn kernels begin to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Reserve ½ cup of the pasta and green bean cooking water and drain the pasta and green beans together in a colander. Return the pasta and green beans to the pot with 2 tablespoons of the reserved water. Add the onion mixture and toss over medium heat until green beans are crisp-tender and the pasta is perfectly al dente, 1 to 2 minutes. Add more of the pasta water as necessary to keep the dish moist. Season to taste with salt and pepper, transfer to warm shallow bowls, and top each serving with the percorino Romano and parsley.
