Tagliatelle with Shrimp, Corn, and Jalapeño: A Delicious Summer Pasta

 

Hey there readers! We're sorry about being absent most of last week. Guess we were in a food coma from that steak. That doesn't mean we haven't been thinking of you and cooking up a storm. This weekend we learned to make home made corn tortillas - so get ready for some of that on this blog. And speaking of this blog, you may notice that we've given it a bit of a touch up, so the site should no longer be so hard on your browser or your eyes. Hope you like it!

Don't worry guys, I like it. 

For our first post back from a bit of a hiatus, we've got a real treat for you - one of the best meals we've made in a while, yet so simple and easy to make it's nearly impossible to mess up! Bryan's wonderful colleagues got him The Young Man and the Sea (referral link) as a going away present when he switched jobs, and it's been inspiring quite a bit of delicious cooking, this wonderful shrimp, corn, and jalapeño dish being one of them.

Fresh summer corn.

It's a perfect foil for the summer - a little spice, fresh sweet corn off the cob, and quick cooking shrimp join forces to create a wonderful combination of flavors that come together very quickly. Head over to your fishmonger this week and pick up some shrimp - this is one you'll have to try!

Making the Dish
What You'll Need

1/2 lb fresh tagliatelle
2 ears corn
1/2 lb shrimp
3 cloves garlic
1 - 2 jalapeños
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste



To get started, cook the corn a bit. You can boil them, or grill them, but we found that putting them under a broiler for about 5 minutes, turning, and then cooking the other side for another 3 - 5 minutes was just right. If you're using the broiler, make sure you take the husk off first, otherwise you may end up with some smoke and fire in your apartment. Not good.

Once the corn is cooked, dice up your jalapeño and garlic into thin strips, and your basil into a coarse chop. We used a red jalapeño which provides for a bit more flavor and a bit less spice than the green ones, which was perfect for the shrimp.

Deveining shrimp like a pro.

Next, devein and peel your shrimp. Rinse them under cool water, and then pat dry. Season with salt and pepper. Finally, get your water boiling and salted. If you're using dried pasta, start cooking this now so that when one minute shy of the package directions comes you'll be just finishing your sauce. If you're using fresh pasta, wait until your shrimp is done to throw in your pasta for just a minute or so.

De-corning the corn.

When the corn has cooled somewhat, cut off the tip so that it will stand flat on the cutting board and using a sharp knife, carefully cut downward to cut the kernels from the cob. They may go in all directions and all over the floor, so do this carefully, and most importantly, be careful not to cut yourself!

Shrimp, garlic, and jalapeño sautéing together.

Now you're ready to go with corn, shrimp, jalapeño and garlic. In a nonstick pan, heat up some olive oil over medium head and throw in your jalapeño and garlic. Cook until the garlic just starting to turn golden and then add in your shrimp, tossing quickly so that it gets nice and tender without getting chewy.

Adding in the chopped basil and corn to the mix.

Add in your chopped basil, toss until wilted, and then add in your corn. Cook and stir for a few minutes, adding a ladle of pasta water to help thicken things up. Then remove from heat. If you're using fresh pasta, throw it in now.

Tossing the sauce with the fresh tagliatelle.

Once the pasta is done cooking, remove it from the water with tongs and add it directly to the sauté pan. Toss the pasta and the sauce together until fully incorporated over high heat, letting the pasta absorb the water and the sauce. If you need to loosen the sauce up at all, add a bit more pasta water.

Tagliatelle tossed with shrimp, jalapeño, corn, and basil.

Once everything is nicely incorporated, put it in a bowl, and devour quickly!

The Result
We said it at the beginning and we'll say it again, this is one of the best pasta dishes we've had this summer. It is so light and flavorful, sweet from the corn, a little spicy from the jalapeno, and luscious and savory from the shrimp. It has all of the flavors that we love served over pasta. What could be better!

Tell us about your favorite dish so far this summer in the comments! We'd love to hear about it and try it ourselves!