Here’s a restaurant-quality sauce that is rich and luxurious but easy enough to make at home. Professional cook and Epicurious member Thomas Campbell of New London, Connecticut, invented it, and his favorite part of the recipe is the bacon-flavored liquid; it adds a slightly sweet but smoky flavor to the sauce, and tastes even better after the flavors have time to mingle.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 6 servings

　　3 ears of corn, shucked

　　4 tablespoons olive oil

　　1 tablespoon brown sugar

　　1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

　　1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　8 ounces thick-cut bacon, coarsely chopped

　　2 shallots, minced

　　2 garlic cloves, minced

　　1/4 cup dry white wine

　　1 quart heavy cream

　　1 pound short-cut pasta, such as penne or rigatoni

　　1 pound cooked lobster meat, coarsely chopped

　　2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano leaves

　　1/4 cup (loosely packed) fresh basil, cut into chiffonade

　　

Step 1

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut the corn kernels off the cobs, reserving the cobs. Spread the kernels, in a single layer, on a large baking sheet. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the brown sugar, salt, and pepper and toss to coat. Roast until the kernels are tender and light golden brown, about 20 minutes.

　　

Step 2

In a large, straight-sided sauté pan over moderate heat, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil until hot but not smoking. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until it turns golden brown and the fat has been rendered out, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel–lined plate and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat in the skillet.

　　

Step 3

Return the pan with the bacon fat to moderate heat. Add the shallots and garlic, and sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 1 minute. Add the white wine and bring to a gentle boil. Continue boiling, scraping up any browned bits, until most of the wine has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cream and the reserved corncobs and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to moderately low and simmer, uncovered, until reduced by half, about 25 minutes.

　　

Step 4

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until tender. Drain well and return it to the pot it was cooked in.

　　

Step 5

Once the cream is reduced, add the roasted corn, lobster meat, and herbs and continue simmering until the lobster is heated through, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove and discard the corncobs and season mixture with salt and pepper. Add the lobster cream sauce and the reserved bacon to the pot of cooked pasta and toss well to combine. Serve immediately.

　　The Epicurious Cookbook