A recipe on cooking.nytimes.com caught my eye. It was for Orecchiette With Corn, Jalapeño, Feta and Basil. In typical fashion, I didn’t follow it exactly and added diced onion and grape tomatoes, so if you want the actual recipe, go to their website.

It was really simple and good. I had a few extra ears of cooked corn, so I stripped the kernels from the cob. I removed the seeds and membranes from the jalapeño. Funny thing about jalapeños. You really can’t tell how hot it is just by looking at it, so I tend to err on the side of caution. There’s a theory that if there are visible lines on the outside, it tends to be hotter, but that may not be true. You could probably use a different shape of pasta, but orecchiette catches the corn kernels in its cup and makes it more fun.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. orecchiette
2 TBS butter
1 small onion, diced
1 jalapeno, minced
About 3 cups fresh corn kernels
About 4 oz. feta, crumbled
About 1/2 cup torn basil leaves
Kosher salt

Method:

1. Cook the pasta in generously salted water. Reserve a cup of the pasta water.
2. Melt the butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeño and cook until softened. Add the corn kernels. Cook for a few more minutes. Season with salt.
3. Add about 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water. Bring to a strong simmer.
4. Add the pasta, tossing it to combine ingredients. Add the feta, and another 1/2 cup reserved pasta water. Toss until fully coated with sauce.
5. Add chopped grape tomatoes and fresh basil. Use the last of the pasta water if needed.