Sweet corn is at its best right now, and it makes a wonderful pasta. The kernels are blended into a smooth sauce, the stripped cobs go into the pasta water, and it’s finished with Parmesan, lemon zest and tons of torn basil. It reminds me of an Alfredo, rich and creamy and really quite decadent. A good one for these last warm weeks, when the days are still summery and the evenings have started to cool.
Sweet Corn Pasta with Parmesan & Basil
Description
Serves 4
Ingredients
12 ounces pasta of your choice
6 ears sweet corn
¼ cup olive oil
1 small shallot, finely chopped
A pinch of red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter
½ cup (50 g) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving
Zest of ½ lemon
Torn basil, for serving
Salt
Instructions
- Cut the kernels from the corn and scrape each cob with the back of a knife. Set aside 1 cup of the kernels to add in whole at the end. Place the stripped cobs in a large pot of water and bring to a boil.
- In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a wide pan over medium. Add the shallot and cook until soft and translucent, about 3–4 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes, then the corn. Season well with salt and cook for 5 minutes.
- Once boiling, remove the cobs. Transfer the corn to a blender with ¼ cup of the corn water and blend on high for 1–2 minutes, until smooth. Season the pot generously with salt, add the pasta and cook until just shy of al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the water before draining.
- Strain the purée into the pan, add the reserved kernels and simmer for 5–6 minutes.
- Add the pasta to the sauce and toss well. Add more pasta water as needed until the sauce is silky and coats the pasta. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, lemon zest and Parmesan. Top with torn basil and more Parmesan.
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