I completely lost it with this charred corn asparagus pasta with brown butter breadcrumbs. Completely.
If I was a fan of emoticons and exclamation marks, the rest of the paragraph would be overtaken by them. The half-eaten plate you see at the end happened in the next five minutes I finished with my pictures – I just put down the camera, picked up the fork to taste, and never stopped. Those brown butter crumbs.
I have been obsessed with brown butter croutons ever since Jessica posted them. That and the fact that she brings back the Caesar salad, which has gotten such a bad rep these last years, and is still a freaking awesome thing to eat. But it’s all about the brown butter + old bread. By now, we all know brown butter, or beurre noisette if you want to be international, rules. I want to rename my blog brown butter kitchen, and I would be pondering about it seriously if I were to start a food blog in the next weeks. I’m happy with my blog’s name. I’m also beyond happy with how this pasta recipe turned out; after the bacon, miso and carrot pasta fiasco – if you remember I made enough for two meals and a friend ate all of it in minutes, leaving me with nothing – this time I made enough for four people, hungry four. By the third day, I was still opening the refrigerator with a smile knowing I would have a plate of this for dinner.
Reheating pasta is my thing. I’m serious. Love it to death.
Somewhere along the way, I made a leftover pasta frittata, a recipe that will be posted next week. Having good food lying around every single day is a constant challenge not to gain a million pounds, feel like I have no discipline whatsoever or that my life should have other areas of interest that don’t include food. Before I know it I’m constantly talking to myself about possible posts when I go for a walk, am puzzled that I have a full Asian pantry ready at any time when I don’t cook much oriental stuff, go nuts over a striped kitchen towel I see on a shop, talk only about food when someone innocently asks what I’ve been up to lately. It’s exhausting at times but I love it, always.
Recipes like this pasta with brown butter bread crumbs and the best seasonal vegetables I could find make it all seem just right.
Charred Corn Asparagus Pasta with Brown Butter Breadcrumbs
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
Fresh bread crumbs are easily made by processing day old bread, without tough parts of the crust. Any pasta works here, I like to use vermicelli. Use a large skillet that will hold the vegetables and the pasta.
Scale
Ingredients
For the brown butter crumbs:
- 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
- 5 Tbs butter
For the pasta:
- 14 oz 400g vermicelli, cooked al dente
- 3 ears of fresh corn
- 3 Tbs olive oil
- 1 green jalapeño (seeded and minced)
- ½ large red onion (thinly sliced)
- 1 bunch fresh asparagus (trimmed of tough ends)
- 2 oz. grated cheese (such as feta or queso fresco)
- Olive oil ( for drizzling)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh parsley (chopped, for garnishing)
Instructions
For the brown butter crumbs:
- Melt butter in a saucepan. Let bubble and squeak until it starts to turn golden and the residue in the bottom begins to brown. Remove from pan before it starts to burn.
- Add breadcrumbs, stir to mix and return to the stove over low/medium heat. Stirring frequently to prevent burning, cook until the crumbs crisp and turn a deeper color. Remove and let cool.
For the pasta:
- Heat a skillet, steak iron or the grill, and cook corn and asparagus until charred and soft. Transfer to a board, cut asparagus in pieces and cut the corn from the cob. It will take about 20 minutes for the corn, and you need to turn it so all sides are cooked. The asparagus will take about 10 minuts, so add them after the corn.
- You can also roast the corn and asparagus in the oven until charred.
- Cook pasta in abundant salted water until al dente (the time the package stipulates is usually very accurate). Drain, add a few tablespoons olive oil and reserve.
- While the pasta is cooking, add red onion and jalapeño to a skillet with a few tablespoon olive oil and lightly cook over medium heat for a minute. Add salt and pepper and cook 1 more minute.
- Reserve a few asparagus tips for garnishing, and add the rest together with the corn to the skillet. Season with more salt and pepper to taste, increase the heat to medium/high and cook for 3 or 4 minutes, until all is integrated and beginning to brown a little bit more.
- Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and carefully mix over low heat. Remove from heat, transfer to serving platter, add chopped parsley, cheese, sprinkle with brown butter crumbs and remaining asparagus tips.
- Serve immediately, passing more breadcrumbs and grated cheese if you want.
adapted from Food & Wine, annual recipes 2005
Today’s 5 related posts worth looking at:
Lemon Pepper Brown Butter Vinaigrette Pasta with Asparagus from Home Skillet
Elote – Mexican Grilled Corn from Magnolia Days
Butternut Squash with Brown Butter and Thyme from Simply Recipes
Butternut Squash with Brown Butter and Thyme from Simply Recipes
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies from Joy the Baker
Fiesta Corn Dip from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Monet says
September 4, 2013 at 23:13What a GORGEOUS pasta. A perfect way to end the summer months. That charred corn looks so tasty…as do those brown butter breadcrumbs! Thank you for sharing with me. I hope you are having a wonderful Wednesday!
Patty Price says
September 4, 2013 at 23:38Oh my! For the yummy-ness of this pasta -I'm in heaven over this plate of beautiful food 😉 I think you hit all the notes here and the charred corn-that looks so darn good 😉
Christine @ 24 Carrot Kitchen says
September 4, 2013 at 23:48Lovely post…and you make me laugh so much! I can relate to so much of what you say.
I love the photos that show the techniques and I am pinning this as I can't wait to try it.
Marissa | Pinch and Swirl says
September 5, 2013 at 00:34I am SO making this. My mouth is literally watering looking at all of your gorgeous photos, Paula.
wp_vknotes_admin says
September 5, 2013 at 16:32I think this is just the kind of dish you'd like Marissa, we have such similar taste!
yummychunklet says
September 5, 2013 at 00:57What delicious looking pasta!
Terra says
September 5, 2013 at 02:35Now this is definitely a recipe my hubby and I would adore! It looks so delicious, and brown butter ROCKS!! Hugs, Terra
Anne ~ Uni Homemaker says
September 5, 2013 at 05:48Brown butter is absolutely amazing! And adding it to breadcrumbs for this pasta dish is brilliant! I love that charred corn and asparagus. A big plate of this would be make really happy! 🙂 Great recipe Paula!
Montse {Rhu and Sam} says
September 5, 2013 at 07:50Never thought about pairing charred corn with pasta!! it's brilliant 😉
The Ninja Baker says
September 5, 2013 at 08:26I can see why this dish is irresistible – it's pretty, it's healthy and made by you! The fritatta sounds fantastic, too. Do I detect a recipe for a future post? I hope so!
Have to laugh about your 24/7 food comment. I can relate. Blogging, for me, is the perfect excuse to do everything you described and say I'm working =)
wp_vknotes_admin says
September 5, 2013 at 16:33The fritatta will be up on monday!
Angie Schneider says
September 5, 2013 at 10:58This is a great pasta dish, Paula. I am not surprised that you couldn't resist…
Renee says
September 5, 2013 at 11:45I would completely lose it with this pasta too. Not enough good words or emoticons to describe it's deliciousness.
Thanks for the shoutout on my Elote too.
Laura Dembowski says
September 5, 2013 at 12:39Corn goes so well in pasta. Can't wait to see the fritata too!
Cocoa and Lavender says
September 5, 2013 at 16:20Well, for starters, you had me at "brown butter breadcrumbs!" I love any pasta that has toasted breadcrumbs – but the brown butter – well, that just takes it over the edge. The asparagus and corn, too. Yum. You are so good to have leftovers – we end up eating it all in one sitting. ~ David
wp_vknotes_admin says
September 5, 2013 at 16:34You probably make smaller portions David. I go overboard with pasta, because I love leftovers SO much!
Elisabeth Foodandthrift says
September 5, 2013 at 16:21Paula, this is an extremely creative and delicious pasta…and I would do the same thing as you did, but most of the time when I photograph my food when I'm alone at my place…I just knock on my neighbor's door and surprise him with my dish of whatever I've made and he is so happy cause he always eats out!
Love the charred corn in the yummy pasta…I'm pinning this right now! xoxo
wp_vknotes_admin says
September 5, 2013 at 16:35I'm starting to knock on my neighbours door more often lately. It gives me an excuse to bake more often!
Beth says
September 5, 2013 at 16:29You've sold me on this recipe! And brown butter croutons sound amazing.
Deb says
September 5, 2013 at 18:08It has been a summer of "I can't get enough corn!" Your recipe has my full attention! Just scrumptious Paula!
Pink Patisserie says
September 5, 2013 at 23:38This dish has all the lovely amazing flavors that I can never get enough of! So delicious!
mividaenundulce says
September 6, 2013 at 00:07Es que la pasta tiene imán, es adictiva, la puedo comer solo con un chorrito de aceite de oliva y ya, pero creo que lo importante es que la pasta sea de buena calidad y si es fresca mejor. Me la imagino con los espárragos y el choclo, delicia total..!!
Guru Uru says
September 6, 2013 at 11:25I simply adore this delicious corn recipe, and with brown butter breadcrumbs? Love it! 😀
Cheers
CCU
Emily Dickson says
September 6, 2013 at 15:19ooh this looks delicious, I definitely don't use asparagus enough when it's in season in the UK, I love pasta though and this looks so good! I love your style of writing, you make me laugh so much (:
from Emily x