I promised HIH would be back and I cannot tell you how excited I am that this creamy sweet corn pasta is the recipe that starts this next chapter! This sweet corn pasta is so light, fresh and creamy. It’s the perfect dinner to enjoy out on the deck with a light, crisp, cold beverage. You don’t always have to enjoy sweet corn on the cob; give this sweet corn pasta recipe a try before we say goodbye to Summer!
Recipe Evolution: Creamy Sweet Corn Pasta
Last summer I featured this rustic tomato basil rigatoni and while I was creating that recipe, I wanted to work in sweet corn into that recipe, but that idea that eventually passed, mostly because I used up all of the sweet corn for sweet corn ice cream. But, I could not let go of wanting to create a sweet corn pasta recipe to enjoy on those warm Summer evenings. I was for sure overthinking it.
I had versions with prosciutto, tomatoes, zucchini, LOTS of lemon, heavy cream, and the list could go on. While delicious, I wanted the sweet corn to be the STAR! All it took was a little time away from HIH to clear my head and as soon as I was ready to come back I wrote down this delightful recipe where sweet corn is the star of the show!
Keys to Success
- Prep all of your ingredients before you get started. Once you get to cooking, this recipe comes together really quickly. The ingredient list includes how to prepare each ingredient. Have everything ready before you start and you’ll have smooth sailing!
- Salt to taste. If you salted your pasta water enough, it will translate to the pasta. Additionally, the parmesan cheese is very salty. For my tastes, just a touch of salt added at the end is just right. You may want more, you may find it to be salty enough. Just keep in mind the other salty components and taste your dish along the way before adding more salt.
- Plan ahead to keep your pasta water available. I can’t tell you how many times my pasta has finished cooking and I know I need to keep my pasta water and I don’t have a vessel ready to strain the water into. Be better than me and don’t forget to have a vessel ready to catch your pasta water when you strain the pasta water. I could also solve this problem with one of these fancy pasta pots. The pasta water is what makes the sauce silky smooth, it’s liquid gold!
- Don’t skip pushing all of the extra corn milk out of the cob. Corn cobs have so much flavor left in the cob! You want to get every once of corn flavor into this pasta. The liquid also helps smooth out the sauce when blending. Can it get a little messy? Sure, but it’s worth it!
Creamy Sweet Corn Pasta
The perfect creamy Summer pasta recipe featuring the star of the summer Farmers' Market, sweet corn.
Equipment
- 1 large pot for cooking pasta. If your pot has a built in pasta strainer, that's a plus!
- 1 12 inch everyday pan or large skillet for cooking sweet corn pasta sauce
- 1 strainer for straining off pasta water
- 1 small blender or food processor for blending pasta sauce
- 1 large liquid measuring cup for reserving pasta water
- 1 wooden or silicone spatula for stirring sauce and pasta
- 1 chef's knife
- 1 cheese grater
- 1 ladle for adding reserved pasta water to sauce
Ingredients
- 8 oz dry pasta of choice rigatoni pictured
- 1.5 cups sweet corn kernels, off the cob about 3 large ears
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice about 1/2 a lemon
- 2 cloves garlic, minced.
- 1/4 cup basil – finely chopped or chiffonade
- 1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano Parmesan will also work here.
- Salt + Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Complete all prep work.1.5 cups sweet corn kernels, off the cob, 4 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 cloves garlic, minced., 1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano, 1/4 cup basil – finely chopped or chiffonade
- In addition to cutting the corn kernels off the cob, take the dull side of your chef's knife and run it down the length of each corn cob to get all of the remaining corn and the juice out of the cobs and set aside. Reserve some fresh corn kernels for garnish.1.5 cups sweet corn kernels, off the cob
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- While your water is coming to a boil start the sauce. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in your 12" skillet or everyday pan over medium heat. Once melted add the garlic, cook until fragrant (about 1 mintue), then add the sweet corn. Season with about 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes. Do not let the corn begin to brown.1.5 cups sweet corn kernels, off the cob, 4 tablespoons butter, 2 cloves garlic, minced., Salt + Pepper to taste
- Transfer the corn mixture and the "corn cob milk" to a small blender or food processor, add the lemon juice and set aside until you begin cooking the pasta. Set the pan aside, you'll use again to finish the dish.1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Cook pasta according to the al dente cooking instructions. Once your pasta has been cooking for a few minutes, ladle about 1/4 cup of the pasta water into the blender and blend until smooth. Add the sauce back to the pan you cooked the corn over medium heat. Ladle another 1/4 cup of the pasta water into the sauce and stir.8 oz dry pasta of choice
- Lower the heat to as low. Taste the sauce, adjust for pepper. Wait to adjust for salt until the end.Salt + Pepper to taste
- Once the pasta is finished cooking, strain and transfer the pasta to the sauce. Keep at least 1 full cup of the remaining pasta water. Toss the pasta with the sauce. Add the remaining butter, parmigiano reggiano and 3/4 of the basil, stir/toss vigorously until the butter is melted and a creamy sauce forms. Taste, adjust for seasoning.4 tablespoons butter, 1/4 cup basil – finely chopped or chiffonade, 1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano
- Serve immediately garnished with, fresh corn kernels fresh basil and grated parmigiano reggiano.
Nutrition
Calories: 419kcalCarbohydrates: 56gProtein: 14gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 295mgPotassium: 281mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 679IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 171mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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