Pappardelle with Corn and Tomatoes

I am sure that I have shared my family's desire to change the balance of meat and veggies in our diet.  Turning the tables to make sure we eat a lot less meat and a lot more veggies. Last week I made the meal in the picture above and it was a big hit, claiming a spot in the rotation. I found this recipe on the Food Network, and made some small changes to fit our tastes.  The star of this dish is not the pasta, but the corn.  This is the time of year for this dish, fresh local corn is everywhere. In the winter we may have to try frozen corn (on the cob), but I am sure it won't be the same.

I find that if I allow it, many of my vegetarian selections rely on a hearty amount of pasta.  I love pasta, but this is not what I want to fill up on instead of meat. The whole point of less meat is more veggies, so this meal cuts back the quantity pasta in the original recipe.  Instead of making this a one dish meal, I used wonderful fresh veggies from our CSA box to fill our plates. The fresh spinach was steamed and dressed with a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper, while the English peas were also steamed and dressed with a small amount of butter an salt. Just because you are serving a vegetarian main dish doesn't mean you should skip good sides!

Pappardelle with Corn and Tomatoes
(Adapted from Food Network's Pappardelle With Corn)

3 ears corn, shucked
5 tablespoons butter
3 vine ripe tomatoes, cut into cubes (use fresh local summer tomatoes when available)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small purple onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup white wine
9 ounces pappardelle pasta
1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped
kosher salt
black pepper

Cook the corn in boiling salted water for about 4 minutes.  Remove the corn the corn to cool and reserve the water, keeping it at a low boil.

Over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in large skillet. Once melted, add the tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 pepper, cook for 3-4 minutes.  Add the onion, cook for another minute and then add the garlic and cook for another minute.  Add the wine and and reduce for 5 minutes.

Once the corn is cool, cut the kernels off the cob.  Cook the pasta as the package directs in the same water used to cook the corn. Remove about 1 cup of the water and reserve before draining the pasta.

Add the corn and broth to the skillet and allow to simmer for 1 minute.  Add the pasta, parmesan 1/2 teaspoon salt and the remaining butter to the skillet.  Stir and add the reserved cooking water to help combine the ingredients. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with the parsley.