Restaurants & Food

Recipe: Trenette with Porcini, Speck, and Corn

EXECUTIVE CHEF DAN CAMPBELL of Birmingham’s new Bella Piatti, which will emphasize local, farm, and forest-to-table ingredients, says this recipe is suited for this time of warm days and cool nights. “The ingredients, flavor, and feel of this dish fit the season perfectly,” he says. “A few pristine ingredients combined in a simple and elegant way make this a great late-summer dish.” Trenette, the Ligurian (northwestern Italian) version of linguine, is a little thinner, almost like flattened spaghetti. “Feel free to substitute any nice, meaty mushroom and bacon, if speck is hard to find,” he says.

Molly Abraham

August 17, 2011

2304

Trenette with Porcini, Speck, and Corn

(Serves 4)

2 ears fresh corn
1 ounce speck ham (or bacon), diced
4 ounces fresh porcini mushrooms,
sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 pound trenette pasta (or linguine), cooked al dente
(reserve 6 ounces of starchy cooking water)
1/2 cup crème frâiche
1/4 teaspoon allspice, freshly ground
20 leaves of small dandelion greens or baby arugula
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Montasio or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for grating

Slice corn off the cob and set aside. Bring one gallon of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook pasta.

Meanwhile, heat a sauté pan and add two tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. Cook the speck until the fat begins to render. Add mushrooms to pan and brown on each side.

Add the corn and roast lightly until aromatic but still toothsome and firm.

Add the pasta (cooked al dente) with about 6 ounces of the starchy cooking water. Add crème frâiche and toss. Add allspice and dandelion greens and toss again.

Season with salt and a generous amount of black pepper.

Serve in warmed bowls. Garnish with freshly grated cheese.