Parmesan Corn Bacon Pasta is spaghetti noodles cooked al dente with pan-roasted corn, crispy bacon, onions, and parmesan cheese. It is so good, I could not stop eating it! You might also want to try my Spaghetti Carbonara for a similar and flavorful pasta dish.
Parmesan Corn Bacon Pasta
It was tough to come up with a name for this pasta dish. It is kind of a carbonara, but it was made with no eggs, so that name was ruled out. Yes, it is made with spaghetti noodles, but I didn’t want people to think of it as spaghetti with sauce. I know, quite the dilemma. But, I didn’t want to downplay how delicious the dish is, even though it is easy to make with just a few ingredients. So, Parmesan Corn Bacon Pasta it is!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Corn: You will need 2 cans of sweet corn to roast before adding it to the pasta. Pan-roasting the corn brings out even more sweetness. However, if you are in a time crunch, you could just add the canned corn (drained) to the pasta dish and just warm it up.
Pasta: I used spaghetti noodles, but you could use whatever noodles you have on hand. I also like linguini, fettuccini, angel hair, or bucatini noodles. Or, make your own homemade pasta! Be sure to reserve 2 cups of pasta water to add to the dish at the end.
Bacon: Look for thick-cut bacon, if possible. Or, try this recipe with pancetta. Of course, you could always leave out the bacon if you are not a fan.
Parmesan Cheese: The parmesan cheese perfectly coats the noodles, bacon, and corn for added flavor and a silky texture.
What to Serve with Parmesan Corn Bacon Pasta
This dish is a flavorful entree that can easily be made into a full meal. Start with a wedge salad. Then, serve the pasta with a basket of breadsticks or a baguette. And then, don’t forget some ice cream for dessert!
Why Reserve Pasta Water
Pasta water is important when it comes to the final consistency of the pasta dish. When added, the starch from the pasta water helps bind the cheese and pasta together rather than simply coating the noodles. This gives you a full-flavored taste in every bite!
How to Store Parmesan Corn Pasta
Let the parmesan corn pasta cool completely before storing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat it, just add the noodles back into a warm skillet and toss it occasionally. You may need or want to add a little olive oil when reheating the dish.
More Pasta Dishes
Parmesan Corn Bacon Pasta
Ingredients
Pan-Roasted Corn
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cans (15 ounces each) sweet corn, drained
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
Pasta
- 1 box (16 ounces) spaghetti noodles
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped (about 1½ cups)
- 1 medium white onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups parmesan cheese, grated
Garnish
- 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
Instructions
Pan-Roasted Corn
- To a 13-inch skillet over medium-high heat, add oil. Once hot, add the corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until toasted and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the corn to a separate bowl. Set the corn aside.
Pasta
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook spaghetti pasta until al dente (9-10 minutes). Drain the spaghetti, reserving 2 cups of pasta water. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and set aside.
- To the same skillet you roasted the corn, add the bacon. Cook over medium heat until crisp (9-11 minutes). Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon onto paper towels. To the remaining grease in the pan (this should be roughly 2 tablespoons), add the onion.
- Once the onion is translucent (about 3-5 minutes) add the roasted corn, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook for one more minute.
- Reduce the heat to low. Add the spaghetti noodles, parmesan cheese, bacon, and 1 cup of pasta water. Use tongs to toss to coat, adding more pasta water if the sauce is too thick, or until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Serve immediately topped with parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.
Did you make this recipe?
You can tag me at @iamhomesteader.
Is this a dish to be served warm or room temperature?
I suppose either.
may I please know what type of parm you used? tyia and cannot wait to try this!
Hi Sab – I used a block of parmesan that I grated. You can use whatever brand you prefer!