This is a lovely, summery pasta dish whose ingredients can be adjusted to include whatever fresh veggies you might have on hand. Now that corn is in season, make sure to include it along with the bacon (yum). I do love the bright green specks of zucchini tucked in-between the orecchiette, but that’s not to say that you couldn’t switch it out for another green vegetable such as julienned kale or thin strips of asparagus. Whatever you choose, keep in mind they should be cut, grated, or sliced into petite sizes so they meld nicely with the orecchiette.
Orecchiette is the perfect pasta for this dish. The domed shape of this pasta is ideal for catching the little nuggets of corn, bacon, and zucchini.
Bacon = Happiness.
The zucchini is grated and salted before being squeezed to extract as much liquid as possible. This will ensure you do not end up with watery pasta. The final dish is a bowlful of summer flavors.
- 4 slices thick bacon, cut crosswise into ¼-inch pieces
- 1 medium garlic clove, peeled and crushed
- pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 medium green zucchini, ends trimmed
- ½ pound orecchiette
- 2 ears corn, kernels cut from the cobs
- 1 tablespoon roughly chopped or torn basil
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- olive oil for finishing
- grated parmesan cheese for serving
- Grate the squash on a box grater or large hole grater. Place grated squash in a bowl and toss with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Let sit for at least 10 minutes, and up to 30 minutes.
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil for the pasta. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large saute pan with crushed garlic clove over medium heat. Cook until the bacon is crisp. Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Discard the garlic clove.
- Once the water comes to a boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente. While the pasta is cooking, take fistfuls of the salted squash and squeeze firmly to extract liquid. Set aside in a bowl.
- Drain the pasta but don't shake it; you want a little pasta water to help create a sauce. Pour it back in the pot. Add the pressed squash, corn kernels and bacon to the pot. Toss everything together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle in a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Add basil and red pepper flakes if using. Toss once before serving and sprinkle with grated parmesan.
