Ingredients
1 pound spaghetti or corn spaghetti or corn tagliatelle
3 large ears of corn on the cob, husked
3 jalapeño peppers
¾ pound bacon (12 meaty slices)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2 leeks, trimmed of tough tops, halved lengthwise, rinsed well by fanning under running water
Salt and pepper
5-6 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced or chopped or grated
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
½ cup flat parsley, chopped
½ cup drained sweet or hot peppadews, chopped, plus a fat splash of their brine
Grated Parm cheese to toss and pass at table
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to boil for pasta.
Invert a small bowl inside a large mixing bowl and stand corn on end of cob, using sharp knife cut off kernels, collecting them in larger bowl.
For spicy pasta, finely chop jalapeños with seeds and ribs; for milder pasta, seed and remove ribs from peppers, then finely chop.
Chop cold bacon into ¼-inch dice.
Heat a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, add bacon and render 3 minutes, then add corn and leeks and lightly brown 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (If your bacon was meaty, it should not be necessary to drain the fat). Add garlic and jalapeños to corn and reduce heat to medium-low.
Salt water and cook pasta to 1 minute less than package directions for al dente. Reserve about ½-2/3 cup starchy cooking liquid (half a mugful) before removing pasta.
Add drained pasta to corn and leeks and combine with starchy liquid, thyme, parsley, and peppadews and their brine. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve with parm for passing.
