Orecchiette With Corn Jalapeño Feta And Basil Recipes

ORECCHIETTE WITH CORN, JALAPEñO, FETA AND BASIL

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until it is just short of al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta cooking water.
• While pasta cooks, make the sauce: In a 12-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add jalapeño, and cook until softened, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add corn, and cook until it begins to brown in spots, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt. Add 1/4 cup of pasta water and bring to simmer and cook until reduced by half, about 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add pasta to skillet, tossing to coat with sauce. Add feta cheese and an additional 1/4 cup of pasta water, tossing until pasta is slick and glossy with sauce. If needed, add in another 1/4 cup pasta water. Stir in basil. Transfer to a large bowl and scatter with remaining basil. Season with flaky salt, if desired.

ORECCHIETTE WITH SAUSAGE, CORN, AND CHILES

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, and then drain pasta.
• Meanwhile, cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring to break into bite-size pieces, until golden brown and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer sausage to a plate; drain fat from skillet. Add butter to skillet, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon. Add chiles and cook, stirring occasionally, 1 minute. Add corn and continue cooking until corn turns a deeper yellow and chiles are softened, about 2 minutes. Return sausage to pan along with pasta and toss to combine, adding enough pasta water to form a smooth sauce that coats pasta. Season with salt and pepper, and serve with sour cream and cilantro.

ORECCHIETTE WITH CORN, JALAPEñO & BASIL

Steps:

• 1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until it is just short of al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain.
• 2. While pasta cooks, make the sauce: In a 12-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add jalapeño, and cook until softened, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add corn, and cook until it begins to brown in spots, about 3 to 4 minutes., Season with salt. Add 1/4 cup pasta water and bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half, about 1 to 2 minutes.
• 3. Add pasta to skillet, tossing to coat with sauce. Add feta cheese and an additional 1/4 cup of pasta water, tossing until pasta is slick and glossy with sauce. If needed, add in another 1/4 cup of pasta water. Stir in basil. Transfer to a large bowl and scatter with remaining basil. Season with flaky salt, if desired.

BAKED RICOTTA ORECCHIETTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine cherry tomatoes, zucchini, bell pepper, onion, sun-dried tomatoes, oregano, and garlic in a large, 3-quart baking dish. Drizzle generously with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with pepper flakes, sea salt, and black pepper. Stir to coat everything. Make a well in the center of the dish and drop in the ricotta cheese. Drizzle the ricotta with remaining olive oil and give it a generous pinch more of pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Switch the oven to broil at 500 degrees F (260 degrees C) and continue to cook until desired blistering and browning occurs, 2 to 4 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook orecchiette in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.
• Remove the baked ricotta dish from the oven and place onto a wire cooling rack.
• Add thyme leaves, then stir the ricotta to break it up. Stir in fresh basil, parsley, and lemon juice. Add the reserved pasta water to loosen things up if needed. Taste and adjust salt if desired. Add the orecchiette and stir until everything is coated. Serve.

ORECCHIETTE WITH CORN, BASIL, AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Combine corn and 4 Tbsp. butter in a large bowl.
• Cook orecchiette in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid, and add to corn mixture. Stir vigorously and add pasta cooking liquid and butter as needed to fully coat. Stir in basil, pepper, and remaining 1 tsp. salt.
• Transfer pasta to a serving bowl or platter and top with pine nuts. Serve immediately.

ORECCHIETTE WITH SPINACH, ROASTED RED PEPPER AND FETA

Steps:

• Place orecchiette in plenty of salted, boiling water and cook according to package directions (approximately 9 minutes) until al dente.
• While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil over medium heat in a saute pan and add minced garlic. Allow to cook for only about a minute (to soften). Add chopped spinach and season with salt and pepper (not too much salt, as feta will add saltiness).
• Add roasted red pepper and cook over low heat until spinach and peppers are heated through. Keep warm over a low heat until pasta is ready.
• When pasta is done cooking, add feta to the spinach mixture. Using a spider, take orecchiette from boiling water (reserving water) and add to spinach mixture on top of the feta. Toss pasta with mixture until thoroughly combined, then add pasta water (about 1/2 cup) until mixture is creamy and moistened.
• Serve immediately.