Bow Tie Pasta: As Elegant As It Sounds

Good evening everyone! Some of my all time favorite recipes are the ones that feature everyday ingredients. I enjoy constructing a dish around things that can be commonly found in your pantry or freezer. Often times, these recipes turn into a slow cooker feature or perhaps into a stew – but tonight we’re going in a different direction;  pasta.

The Recipe: Bow Tie Pasta with Corn

Original Recipe Found On: Chow.com

(As always, we’ve modified the original recipe to our own designs. If you want to try the original dish, be sure to check it out at the source).

What You’ll Need:

(Serves 4)

1 Pound Bow Tie Pasta (Farfalle or similar)

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

½ Cup Shallots (Sliced thin)

6 Medium Garlic Cloves (Diced)

1 Cup Dry White Wine

4 Large Thyme Sprigs (Dried can be used as a substitute)

2 Cups Corn Kernels (Frozen are okay – they don’t even need to be thawed)

1 ¼ Cups Heavy Cream

½ Cup Parmesan Cheese

¼ Cup Fresh Chives (Dried can be used as a substitute)

Prepare you pasta according to package instructions. Remove the pasta just before it’s perfectly al dente (it will finish cooking later on). Strain in a colander and set aside.

In a large (12 inch) non stick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the shallots and garlic, cooking until softened and fragrant. This takes about 3 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and pepper before adding the wine and thyme sprigs. Bring this mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the wine has reduced to about ¼ of a cup. (Roughly 5 minutes of cooking time).

Next, add the corn and heavy cream. Stir well and then bring the mixture to a simmer over medium high heat. Once simmering, add the pasta to the skillet, stirring well to incorporate. Stir in the parmesan cheese and allow the mixture to simmer until the cheese melts completely. Finally, season with a pinch of salt and pepper (to taste) and top with the chives prior to serving. Enjoy!

The Results:

This recipe borrows some concepts from Alton Brown’s classic cream corn recipe that we tried a few years ago. (See it HERE). Essentially, you have a sweet creamy base from the corn and cream that blends beautifully with the bite from the shallots and garlic. All the while, the pasta acts as a neutral observing, simply carrying the flavors without interfering. With a short ingredient list filled with fairly common items on hand, this flavorful pasta dish is sure to have something for everyone. Give it a try!

That’s all we have for you this week. We’re back next week with a few new recipes, including a tasty way to cook up a traditional pastry. Until then,

~Cheers