Farmers Market Pasta with Fresh Corn, Asparagus, Red Onion & Jalapeño

This pasta was a refreshing find considering we’d just acquired a dozen ears of corn from our local Saturday farmers market. It had a nice hint of heat from the jalapeños and is low fat – no cream sauce! Enjoy!

Fresh Pasta with Spicy Corn and Asparagus

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1 large jalapeño, seeded and thinly sliced

2 cups fresh corn kernels (from 4 large ears)

1 pound pencil-thin asparagus, stalks sliced 1/4 inch thick and tips left whole

Salt and freshly ground pepper

6 tablespoons freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for serving

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, I used fettuccini, and cook, stirring occasionally, until barely al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 1/2 cups of the cooking water.

Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet until shimmering. Add the red onion and jalapeño and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the corn and asparagus stems and tips and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.

Add 1 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water and a generous pinch of salt and pepper to the vegetables and bring to a boil over moderately high heat. Add the pasta and cook, stirring, until the liquid is nearly absorbed and the pasta is tender, about 2 minutes; if necessary, add a little more of the pasta cooking water. Add 6 tablespoons of the grated Pecorino and toss. Serve the pasta in shallow bowls, passing extra Pecorino at the table