Sweet Corn Carbonara

Recipe from Michael Serva

Adapted by Kristina Felix

Published Sept. 10, 2024

Sweet Corn Carbonara
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
40 minutes
Prep Time
25 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Rating
4(104)
Comments
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Of carbonara, the chef Michael Serva writes, "[it's] an infamously specific alchemy with fighting words around any sort of modification. Always with guanciale, never bacon. And the addition of peas is likely to have you ducking thrown furniture anywhere near Rome." Perhaps it's the 6,000 miles between Rome and Marfa, Texas, that emboldens Mr. Serva, who co-owns the Italian deli Bordo with his wife Hannah Texie Bailey, to reimagine classic carbonara. He uses finocchiona salami ends that no longer fit in the meat slicer in place of guanciale, and adds in-season sweet corn to the mix. True to Mr. Serva's waste-not philosophy, he utilizes every part of the corn too: kernels in the dish, cobs to flavor the pasta water, and silks as a sweet and surprising garnish. This approach results in a luscious carbonara punctuated by summer sweet corn, making it a perfect dish for late summer and early fall. While finocchiona salami and Calabrian chile paste are well worth sourcing, any salami or chile paste you have in your refrigerator work well here too. —Kristina Felix

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 2cups (about 8 ounces) corn kernels, from 2 to 3 ears, preferably from farm fresh corn, cobs and pale green silks reserved (see Tip)
  • Sea salt and black pepper
  • 1pound pasta (such as campanelle, cavatappi or mafalda)
  • 2tablespoons olive oil
  • 8ounces leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced (about 3 cups, from about 2 leeks)
  • 8ounces salami, preferably finocchiona (with fennel), diced into ¼-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
  • 1tablespoon chile paste, preferably Calabrian
  • 1teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 2tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 8ounces pecorino, preferably Pecorino Romano, finely grated (about 4 cups)
  • 4ounces Parmesan, preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated (about 2 cups)
  • 2large eggs
  • 1egg yolk
  • Basil leaves for garnishing
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

1081 calories; 59 grams fat; 26 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 23 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 76 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 60 grams protein; 2491 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place corn cobs in a large pot of salted water and bring to a boil.

  2. Step 2

    When boiling, remove and discard the cobs, add pasta, and cook until al dente, reserving 2 cups of the pasta water before draining.

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile, heat a 12-inch sauté pan over medium-high. When hot, add olive oil, leeks, salami, chili paste, fennel seeds and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until the edges of the leeks and salami turn golden brown, about 6 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Add butter, corn kernels, another pinch of salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper to the pan. Continue stirring until the corn has just begun to shine and release its aroma, about 3 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    In a large metal mixing bowl, whisk together pecorino, Parmesan, eggs and egg yolk plus one cup of reserved pasta water, working quickly so as not to scramble the eggs. Gently fold the pasta and the corn and salami mixture into the cheese mixture until a creamy sauce forms and coats pasta evenly, adding more pasta water if necessary.

  6. Step 6

    Serve immediately, topped with torn basil leaves and some of the reserved corn silks, if desired.

Tip
  • When removing kernels from the cob, cut carefully to avoid the tough base of the kernels near the cob, which can taste bitter.

Ratings

4 out of 5
104 user ratings
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Comments

Brian A.

The quick whisking actually DOES prevent scrambling the eggs. I recommend adding the warm water bit by bit, whisking in between, rather than all at once. That will help by allowing the egg and cheese mixture temperature to rise slowly. I am not sure why a metal bowl is specified; you could use any kind of bowl. Just avoid combining the egg mixture with the warm ingredients in a hot vessel like the sauté pan, as it’s much harder to avoid scrambling.

Virginia

Any recommendations for a substitute for the salami?

Eric Lunger

This might be great but it’s not carbonara.

JoJo24

Don’t add salt. Between the cheese and the salami it’s way salty already. Make sure to time the pasta so you are mixing it right as you’re about to sit down. I mixed and it sat for 5 minutes while we got to the table and it congealed and got a bit sticky. Had to add more pasta water at the table.

Charlotte

So we’ve cooked this twice. First time - sublime (used cheap pecorino & parmesan). Second time - not so good (used expensive cheeses). I will never make it again with the fancy cheeses as it was just too much. Recommendation: use cheap, not so cheesy Italian cheeses (or cheddar?!) that allow the other incredible flavours through. Avoid overbearing, quality Italian cheese that overpower the otherwise delicious recipe.

Laith

I’m sorry but this recipe was heavy, unpalatable, and with a very strange taste. I would not recommend it to anybody.

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