Sauteed Corn and Pancetta
I make dinner every night of the week. I love serving something that’s healthy and delicious to finish off the day. But there’s always one thing with which I have trouble – what to serve with the entreé. While I could throw together a salad or savory bowl of rice, my first choice is usually a vegetable. I love peas, broccoli, sweet potatoes… and so do the kids. Out of all the vegetable choices though, my favorite has got to be corn.
I’ll eat corn steamed or grilled on the cob. I’ll eat it raw in a salad. But one of my favorite ways to enjoy it is as sautéed little kernels swimming in butter. While I’ll eat them plain, I’ve never been satisfied with “plain”. I like to spice them up with herbs, spices, garlic or… best of all: bacon! Yes, I’m a bacon girl. I love it. I’d eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner if I could. I don’t. But I would. So… whenever I have the opportunity to add bacon to a dish, I do. This time I didn’t add bacon though. This time I added pancetta.
See, pancetta is pretty close to bacon. They’re both pork and they’re both cured. There’s really only one difference: one is smoked and one isn’t. Bacon is the one that’s smoked. But even with the smoking, it doesn’t taste that different from pancetta, which is why I often substitute it. I like substituting pancetta because I don’t need to cook it separately, and it usually comes chopped up in little cubes; perfect for adding to stocks, stews or sides. On the other hand, bacon usually comes in long strips that needs to be fried, drained and then crumbled into little pieces. I hate extra steps when I’m cooking. I mean, why do three steps when I only need to do one? Hence the pancetta.
But whether you use pancetta or bacon, the end result is still the same: a delicious side that will go with anything. While you could use a can of corn, fresh is always best and there’s still time to get an ear or two at your favorite farmer’s market or grocery store. My favorite thing about this side though is how versatile it is. It’s easy enough that you can serve it as a side for a simple weeknight dinner or dress it up for a fancy dinner party, including Thanksgiving. Whichever way you go, you won’t be disappointed, especially if you add the pancetta.
Notes
Adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 ounces pancetta
- 2 cups fresh corn kernels (from about 3 ears of corn)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring often, until browned, about 2 minutes.
- Add the corn and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until heated through, 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and serve.
