The authors of One-Hour Comfort (2021, $29.99), one of a slew of new cookbooks from the Boston culinary juggernaut that is America’s Test Kitchen (www.americastestkitchen.com), admit that “comfort food” can be highly personal and idiosyncratic. Some people think of pasta, others of fried chicken, and others of a grilled cheese sandwich. Maybe it’s what your parents made when you were sick at home from school.
But, as the authors point out, almost everyone can agree that comfort food is “uncomplicated, homey, and totally satisfying.” That can mean anything from ham grits and redeye gravy at breakfast to a big bowl of congee topped with stir-fried pork bits. The “meaty” section has Italian sausage with peppers, onions, tomatoes, and polenta—as well as chicken satay with spicy peanut dipping sauce.
Hungry yet?
All the recipes are designed to go from prep to table in an hour or less. Talk about instant gratification! The book was just published earlier this month and it’s already making ripples in our household meal planning. We’re a little mixed about the recipe introductions, which are called “why this recipe works.” On one hand, they’re often informative and educational. On the other, they sometimes state the obvious. But no matter—the layout allows your eye to drift to the actual recipe below.
The physical layout couldn’t be better. The recipe (complete with the header note) fits on one page—a sure sign that it won’t be too complicated. A glorious color photograph fills the facing page and shows what the dish would look like if you had a food stylist and top-notch food photographer working on your Instagram page.
Of course, we have our own comfort food favorites, but it’s good to discover what other people find soothing. Since our basil is starting to show the effects of shortening days and the last of the late corn is now at the farmers’ market, we decided to give this corn and pasta dish a whirl. As promised, the dish had a strong corn flavor and a creamy mouth feel, even though we used 1% milk. In the end, it was yet another variation on mac and cheese, offering a similar quotient of comfort. One tip: When heating the bucatini in the sauce, be sure to stir frequently so the pasta doesn’t stick to the pan.
CREAMY CORN BUCATINI WITH RICOTTA AND BASIL
Why This Recipe Works
In this ingenious summer recipe, corn serves as the base for a simple, creamy pasta sauce that comes together in a flash. We started by bringing corn and milk to a simmer before blending the mixture to a smooth puree. Corn kernels naturally contain cornstarch, which thickens into a pasta-coating sauce if heated above 150 degrees. Heating also intensifies the characteristic aroma of corn, which is largely due to a compound that is also prominent in the aroma of milk. That means that our puree tasted more like corn, and it also tasted more like milk. Simmering our pasta in this sauce further thickened the sauce to a velvety consistency while ensuring a perfect al dente texture for the pasta. We even added a touch of red pepper flakes for a subtle kick. Finished with dollops of creamy ricotta and fresh basil, this is a satisfying dish that’s great any day of the week. Although this is a fantastic use for in-season corn, you can substitute 18 ounces frozen corn for fresh. You can also use spaghetti in place of bucatini.
Serves 4 to 6
- 4 ears corn, kernels cut from cobs (about 3 cups)
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 pound bucatini
- 1/4 teaspoon table salt, plus salt for cooking pasta
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 6 ounces (3/4 cup) whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
Bring corn and milk to simmer in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Carefully transfer corn and milk to blender and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Process until smooth, about 3 minutes, scraping down sides of blender jar as needed. Strain corn mixture through fine-mesh strainer into now-empty skillet, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible.
Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until pasta is flexible but still firm, about 5 minutes. Reserve 2 cups cooking water, then drain pasta.
Stir pasta, 1 1/2 cups reserved cooking water, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper flakes into corn mixture in skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until pasta is al dente and well coated with sauce, 2 to 4 minutes. Adjust consistency with remaining reserved cooking water. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer pasta to serving dish, dollop with ricotta, and sprinkle with basil. Serve.
