The Life-Changing Magic of Bacon Grease: Corn, Bacon and Parmesan Pasta

As we struggle through yet another gruesome heat wave, I’m reminded how happy I am that going gluten-free hasn’t kept us from finding fast, easy, non-kitchen-destroying pasta dishes for dinner. And if, for instance, you’ve spent all day scraping wallpaper off a ceiling and it’s 100 degrees and nobody likes your taste in music and you promised that you would cook dinner with your mutinous teenage son, this is a good dish to make because it comes together so quickly and nothing can go wrong. 

I know, I know - that last sentence really seems like I’m daring the universe, right? But there were already so many bumps in this particular road. I’m never at my best during a heat wave; John is in full-blown teenager hormonal rage overdrive; I was cooking in someone else’s kitchen with someone else’s gear; I was tired; I was hungry; my arms hurt. And let’s not forget that we are all heartily sick of the sight of each other, which is why it seemed like a fine time to cram 5 of us into a 4-passenger vehicle and drive 8 hours to Pennsylvania to help my best friend get settled into her new house (hey, at least it was a change of scenery. Also she has air conditioning.) 

If my son was a cartoon character...

John was Not Pleased at the prospect of helping with dinner - or honestly, being around other people. I love cooking with him but in his own words: “We’ve been in quarantine for months. I’m going through puberty. I don’t know how else to tell you I’m so sick of you people.” I hear ya, buddy. But even the worst teenage hormonal rage can be soothed with the life-changing magic of bacon grease. 

So. The corn was scraped and the bacon was sauteed (only a minor burn on my lip - no, I didn’t taste it straight from the pan, the grease popped so remember to be careful with that part) and we figured out how to make 2 pounds of pasta in a little teeny pot and there was plenty of Parmesan to go around. Everyone ate and ate and ate and was happy afterwards. I’ve been making this dish for years and have never figured out how much I need to make in order to have leftovers, so scale up as much as you like. By all means, feel free to use frozen baby corn if it’s the dead of winter, but this really is extra fantastic with fresh summer corn. If you happen to have leftover bacon in your fridge (I’m told that’s possible in some families), you can put this together in the amount of time it takes to boil pasta; and if you’re starting with corn still on the cob and bacon still in the store package, it still won’t take much longer. 

I have, at various times, considered adding shrimp, peas, and other random fridge finds to this dish, but we like it so much as-is that I’ve never bothered. The recipe's originator - the amazing and wonderful Deb Perelman from Smitten Kitchen - suggests that you can add diced tomatoes at the end if bacon isn't your thing, but if bacon's not your thing we're probably not friends so I left that part out. Also - Deb is amazing and wonderful and I adore her site and her recipes and her food photography and you should too. Also please buy me all her cookbooks. If I was a real food blogger I would want to be her but with a larger kitchen.

Corn, Bacon, and Parmesan Pasta

8 oz dried pasta (we use penne or spirals - you want a short shape for this)

¼ lb thick-cut bacon, sliced

2 ears corn, shucked and kernels cut from the cob

Salt and freshly ground black pepper (fresh-ground really does make a difference here)

3 scallions, thinly sliced

⅓ cup (hahahahaha - use more) freshly grated Parmesan

Fresh basil and chives, for garnish, if you're feeling fancy-schmancy

Cook the pasta and reserve a cup of the cooking water. 

Saute the bacon until it’s crispy, then remove to a paper-towel lined plate to drain. Pour off all but one tablespoon of the bacon grease. 

Saute the corn for a minute or two until it’s crisp-tender, then season with the salt and pepper. Add the pasta, some of the Parmesan, and a couple splashes of hte cooking water and stir it all together. 

Keep tossing and stirring and seasoning, adding more of the cooking water if it seems a little dry, until everything is mixed together. Stir in the bacon and scallions. If everyone at the table likes Parmesan, sprinkle the rest and the herb garnish over the top and serve. If someone is picky about the fact that this contains just a teeny little bit of cheese, roll your eyes and serve the rest of the Parmesan on the side.