To get you going for Camp Bacon and to share an advance taste of what’s in her new book, The Pasta Friday Cookbook, Allison Arevalo sent along a lovely recipe: Bucatini with Corn, Pancetta and Burrata! For the pasta, the bucatini from the Rustichella folks will work well (available at the Deli or Mail Order). Burrata—mozzarella stuffed with shredded bits of mozzarella and cream—is ready and waiting at the Cream Top Shop!

Bucatini with Corn and Pancetta

Kosher salt

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 

8 ounces pancetta, diced

4 cups fresh or frozen and thawed corn kernels

Freshly ground black pepper

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound bucatini 

3 tablespoons salted butter, diced

1 1/2 pounds medium, ripe tomatoes (or a good quality bottled Italian tomato—try the Miragallo tomatoes at the Deli), coarsely chopped

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves

1 cup breadcrumbs

12 ounces burrata, room temperature 

High-quality olive oil, for drizzling

1 Fill a 6-quart pot with water. Bring it to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of salt. While the water is coming to a boil, heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until browned and crispy. Remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon, leaving the rendered fat in the pot. Add the corn, 1 teaspoon of salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Cook, without stirring, for 4 minutes, then stir and cook for another 3 minutes, until the corn has slightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute more.

2 Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until slightly firmer than al dente, 1 minute less than what it says on the package. Using tongs, transfer the pasta to the pot with the corn. Add the pancetta, butter, tomatoes, basil, and 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, and toss well. Add the breadcrumbs and toss again. Add a few more tablespoons of the cooking water if it looks dry.

3 Pour into a serving dish. Tear apart the burrata and scatter it on top. Drizzle with olive oil and serve immediately.

(The Pasta Friday Cookbook, Andrews McMeel, Sept. 2019)