So you’ve heard of Alfredo sauce and tomato sauce. Heck, you’ve probably also dabbled in pesto and white wine-butter sauce for your pasta.
But when was the last time you tried a turmeric sauce?
I don’t claim to be an inventive cook. Typically, I leave the creativity to my husband, who owns a restaurant. But when I came across this caramelized corn and asparagus pasta recipe from The New York Times two years ago, it sounded too good not to try. It’s since become one of my go-to dishes year-round, even if the ingredients are most abundant during the summer.
The turmeric “sauce” in this case is more of a seasoned coating for the noodles, which infuses an awesome balance of savoriness and spiciness to pair with the recipe’s seasonal vegetables. It will also add a pop of bright yellow coloring to your clothes if you’re not careful, so dress accordingly.
This recipe is sure to satisfy vegetarians, and it’s great with the addition of pan-seared shrimp as a protein. At the height of corn season, I’ll use Olathe sweet corn for a touch of homegrown flavor. And a hack for those spending the extra hours of daylight out and about instead of in the kitchen: Keep a bag of frozen corn on hand for another apt substitute.
Caramelized corn and asparagus pasta
Recipe originally published by NYT Cooking
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta, typically spaghetti or linguini
- 3 ears of corn, husked
- 16 medium stalks asparagus, trimmed and thinly sliced on an angle
- 3 scallions, trimmed and minced
- ¼ cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- ⅓ white wine or vermouth
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 lemon (optional)
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil on high heat. Meanwhile, prepare the corn by slicing the corn kernels off the cobs. Add cobs to the pot of water to add a touch of sweetness.
Once the water is boiling, add pasta and cook according to package instructions. The cobs remain in the water with the pasta.
In a large, deep skillet, heat the oil over medium-high. Add corn kernels and sugar, season with salt and pepper, and cook while stirring occasionally until they begin to caramelize. (About 6 minutes.) Stir in the asparagus, scallions and half the turmeric (1 teaspoon). Cook while stirring frequently until just softened and the corn is caramelized. (About 2 to 3 minutes.) Transfer to a bowl.
Once the pasta is just short of al dente, reserve 1 ½ cups of pasta water, and then drain pasta and discard the corn cobs.
In your large skillet, add the butter, garlic and remaining turmeric and cook over medium heat until the butter melts and starts to foam. (About 3 minutes.) Whisk in white wine to deglaze and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Then whisk in 1 cup of pasta water.
Add the pasta into the large skillet and toss with tongs over medium heat until thoroughly coated and cooked to your desired texture (1 to 2 minutes). Add pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
Remove from heat and stir in half of the corn-asparagus mixture, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
Divide the pasta among the plates. Dollop with ricotta cheese and top with the remaining mixture. Drizzle with olive oil. If using lemon, sprinkle the pasta with lemon zest and serve with a lemon wedge.
Enjoy!
