Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.

Creamy One-Pot Orzo With Corn and Bacon

New York Times Cooking • Samantha Seneviratne
40 min
•
4 servings
•
40 min
Creamy One-Pot Orzo With Corn and Bacon

Ingredients

Suggestions are based on store availability. Use the full ingredient list to confirm correct items and quantities.
  • Quantity1
    4 large ears corn, husked
    Green Giant Nibblers Corn-on-the-Cob
    12 ct
    Current price: $6.49
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  • Quantity1
    6 ounces bacon, cut into pieces
    Smithfield Hometown Original Hickory Smoked Bacon
    22 oz
    Current price: $9.99

    reg. $9.99

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  • Quantity1
    12 ounces orzo
    DeLallo® Orzo No. 65 Cut Pasta
    16 oz
    Current price: $3.29

    reg. $3.29

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  • Quantity1
    2 cups chicken broth
    Swanson® 100% Natural Chicken Broth
    32 fl oz
    Current price: $2.99
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  • Quantity1
    1 cup basil, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
    Simple Truth Organic™ Basil
    3 oz
    Current price: $3.99
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  • Quantity1
    1 to 2 tablespoons Calabrian chile paste (or harissa or homemade chile sauce), to taste
    Kroger® Sweet Chili Sauce
    10 fl oz
    Current price: $2.59
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  • Quantity1
    1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese, for serving
    Galbani Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
    15 oz
    Current price: $4.99
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You may already have

  • Quantity1
    Kosher salt
    Morton® Coarse Kosher Salt Box
    48 oz
    Current price: $4.99
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About this recipe

In “Eat Your Vegetables: Bold Recipes for the Single Cook,” Joe Yonan suggests grating corn to take the kernels off and extract the delicious milky pulp from the cob. This method maximizes the amount of pure corn flavor that you can add to any dish. Here, most of the corn is grated to create a super creamy, one-pot pasta that tastes sweet and summery. Calabrian chile paste, which is usually made of chiles from the Calabria region of Italy, oil and vinegar add heat, acidity and a bit of smokiness to this dish. If you can’t find it, swap in some homemade red chile sauce or harissa.

Ingredients List

  • 4 large ears corn, husked
  • 6 ounces bacon, cut into pieces
  • 12 ounces orzo
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 cup basil, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons Calabrian chile paste (or harissa or homemade chile sauce), to taste
  • 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese, for serving

Preparation

1
Split each cob in half crosswise. Using the large holes of a box grater set over a shallow bowl or rimmed baking sheet, take off the kernels and as much corn liquid as possible from 6 halves. Using a sharp knife, cut the kernels off of the remaining cob and keep separate.