We are big fans of the late Judy Rodgers, even though we find some of the recipes in her fabulous Zuni Cafe Cookbook a bit confusing. However, Rodgers’ delicious “Pasta with Corn, Pancetta, Butter & Sage” isn’t one of them. We’ve enjoyed this simple-to-prepare dish many times. But, at this point of our summer season, we decided to vary it a bit. (This decision may have been influenced by our lack of sage plants, which drowned during our recent unseasonably heavy rains.) Instead of pancetta, we crisped up bits of Kentucky country ham, halved the butter and added some local peppers for a little heat. We tossed this with some of Steve’s fresh pasta, added some crusty bread and enjoyed ourselves immensely.
Even if you’re not fortunate enough to be in the Bluegrass at the moment, grab some fresh corn, some salty cured meat and a bit of butter and spice. It may not be Kentucky, but it will most likely be delicious over pasta.
(inspired by Judy Rodgers’ The Zuni Cafe Cookbook) Start pasta water on to boil. Using a sharp knife, scrape kernels from ears of corn into a bowl. Melt about 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet. Add ham and sauté, stirring, until it starts to sizzle. Add a few more tablespoons of butter, then peppers. Continue to sauté, stirring, until peppers are starting to color. Then add remaining butter. After butter is melted, add optional leeks and corn. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté, tossing with a spatula until corn is cooked through. Turn off heat. Cook pasta. When done, drain, reserving cooking water. Turn heat back on under skillet. Add cooked pasta and toss, adding up to a cup or more of pasta water until pasta and corn mixture are mixed. Plate and serve with Parmesan cheese, if desired. But it really isn’t necessary.PASTA WITH CORN, COUNTRY HAM, BUTTER & PEPPERS
Gourmandistan 
I have to admit I usually use canned corn for pasta , lazy me, because I thought I had to cook the fresh corn kernels separately (and because I love to halve empty the can with a spoon first). Now I learn I can simply add it to the rest of the sauce, so no more excuses. Next time I see fresh corn, I´ll try – it sounds easy and wonderfully flavored, plus my kids love corn, too. Merci, Michelle & Steve, merci Gourmandistan!
Ha! I know it’s hard to find fresh corn in France. (Somebody someday will explain to me why every crappy bistro makes a composed salad with thawed-from-frozen kernels. No wonder the French think they don’t like corn!)
Wonderful; I love fresh corn and cannot wait for it to appear at our markets (soon, soon!). I make a kind of corn pesto, with parmesan and garlic, and bits of pancetta on top, but this sounds like a wonderful version; I’ll definitely add some hot peppers next time.
I remember from last year: I nominated you as the Corn Ambassadress of France! Corn pesto sounds delicious.
One day I’ll get to try that Kentucky country ham that Calvin Trillin praised so highly. In the meantime I’ll have to make do with Wiltshire cured ham with Kent corn and peppers – I’m sure your recipe will still taste good 🙂
This is the best you can get, made not far away from where I grew up. They are the only people left here who can still cure it in barns (grandfathered in when the Safety Nazis took over). I wonder if British customs would let it in? No matter, I’m sure your Wiltshire and Kent combo would be great.
Sadly I don’t think British customs would let me keep the ham – hopefully they might at least eat it themselves though. I do hope that there are still some people who cure their hams at home and keep the whole thing a secret to keep the FDA away. Traditions like this need to be preserved 🙂
“Kentuckifying”, eh? Having been born in good ole Kentuck, I’m going to have to give this recipe a try-out!! (We moved out when I was two years old, so I probably missed a lot of things. But I do love fresh corn!
My husband, the word coiner. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.
Your photo composition is really wonderful. It really doesn’t matter what the dish tastes like (I can’t get fresh corn or Kentucky ham). Lovely.
How sweet, Conor! OK I get the ham, but no corn? I know, I know, it’s a New World crop. But I always laugh when in Europe (though, sadly, I haven’t made it to my ancestral home yet) how much corn you see growing. I guess for fuel and livestock?
Driving through rural France, one can go for miles without seeing anything growing except corn. I am told that this is winter feed for cattle. We do get a brief encounter with fresh corn in its leaves but oh, so brief. It really is not hot enough to grow it successfully here in Ireland (to the best of my limited knowledge).
hmmm. ham and corn, no matter what kind of ham/bacon even, is a wonderful combination!
Can’t really go wrong with that, can you, Mimi?
“Kentuckify” sounds like a great swear word. Like, “Well Kentuckify me…”
Steve = the word coiner. The other day I said to somebody, “why do they name products and corporations such stupid things these days?” Then I remembered that Steve has spent much of his adult life doing just that. 🙂
Oh funny, I spend a lot of my professional life doing that too. 🙂 Separated at birth.
Conor, just make it with potatoes and Guinness instead.
Ha! Can’t go wrong with that!
Ahhhh thats what it means, I ordered a Kentucky style salad and looks nearly similar to this, now I know
Oh, funny. There are Kentucky salads out in the world??
I want a really large bowl of that!
Carb loading. 🙂
looks so good, what could i replace the ham with to make a veggie version?
It would be fine without ham. Just salt it well!