The past few weeks have been busy! My husband and I moved from Boston back to our home state of New Jersey. There are so many things about New England that I’m going to miss dearly, but it’s exciting to be back “home” with accessibility to many of our old favorites, like Wegmans whole wheat pizza dough, Vintage seltzer, and Taylor ham. And no matter what folks say, there’s no place on earth that grows more perfect tomatoes, blueberries, or corn! They’re incredibly juicy and sooooo delicious! I have fond memories of sitting in my dad’s garden as a little kid, eating tomatoes fresh off the vine, still warm from the sun. Ahhh, that was heaven! As a tribute to the great Garden State, the first recipe I’m posting after moving back features one of NJ’s best crops…sweet corn!
Is there anything better than fresh, sweet, juicy corn on the cob in the summertime? It’s one of my favorite things about the summer, and I can’t get enough of it! For this recipe, I cut the kernels off the cobs after they were cooked, and tossed in some smoky flavors, creating a great side dish for your next bbq that will perfectly compliment the smokiness of most grilled foods.
Smoky Corn and Pasta Salad
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 30 minutes
3 ears of corn
2 cups cooked orzo
¼ cup parsley, coarsely chopped
1 lb. cooked Andouille sausage, diced into bite-sized pieces
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup plus 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
¼ cup canola oil
1 tsp. ground cayenne pepper (depending on how spicy you like it!)
¾ tsp. smoked paprika
½ tsp. hickory smoked sea salt (or regular salt)
1) Cook the corn to your liking (I boiled it on the stovetop, but grilling would be perfect for this recipe!). Once cool to the touch, cut off the cob and place in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the orzo and Andouille sausage. Toss the Parmesan cheese in and mix to distribute evenly.
2) Whisk together the EVOO, canola oil, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, and smoked salt. Drizzle over the corn, pasta, and sausage and toss to coat. Serve slightly warm.
I love using Hickory Smoked Sea Salt from Williams-Sonoma in recipes like this one. It’s also killer in chili! And sautéed peppers and onions!
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