Creamy Saffron Tagliatelle with Fresh Sweet Corn

I have a huge array of spices at my house, so many in fact that I have to store them in 2 separate places! The one spice I never got was saffron. Why you ask? Well, because it is really quite expensive and I am kind of a cheapo!

When I saw this recipe in the new Rachel Ray magazine I knew I was going to have to splurge and get some. 

This pasta is so creamy and sweet, with just a hint of heat from the fresh chili, I really enjoyed it.

What you need,

Click Here To Print

1 ½ cups chicken stock, low sodium (I used some homemade stock I had made and put in the freezer!)

2 health pinches of saffron threads (I probably used a good heaping teaspoon)

Salt and Pepper

3 ears of fresh sweet corn

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp. butter

1 Fresno chili pepper, finely chopped (any hot pepper would do here, even red pepper flakes)

2 shallots, finely chopped

2-4 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme

1 tbsp. flour

1 tbsp. lemon zest

½ cup white wine (I didn’t have any so I used some extra chicken stock instead)

1/3 cup heavy cream

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Finely chopped fresh parsley for serving

To start combine the 1 ½ cups of chicken stock in a small pot with the saffron and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and continue to simmer until it has reduced by one third.

Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain the pasta and reserve about ½ a cup of the cooking water.

Cut the corn off the cobs and set aside.

In a large skillet heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium high heat. Melt the butter into the oil and when it foams add in the corn. Cook for about 5 minutes until the corn is just starting to brown. Add the chopped chili pepper, shallots and garlic to the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Season with salt and pepper and add the thyme. Cook stirring for another 2-3 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, add the lemon zest. Deglaze the pan with the wine or chicken stock. 

Stir in the saffron stock and bring to a bubble. Stir in the cream then lower the heat to a simmer.

Stir the grated cheese into the sauce and add the pasta tossing gently to coat. Use a little of the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce if you need to.

Sprinkle with the chopped fresh parsley and more cheese.

Serve with a nice side salad and you have a wonderful dinner.

I loved the sweetness of the fresh corn with pasta. It was just perfect.

I am not so sure the saffron really brought much flavor to the party but it sure did give it a nice yellow color.

I still have some saffron left over, now I am on the hunt for another recipe to use it in. If anyone has any good ones let me know!

Jen

Recipe from Rachel Ray Magazine