Creamy Corn Pasta
Published
Published
Surprisingly, there’s no heavy cream or milk in this Creamy Corn Pasta recipe! Instead, puréed corn, sautéed onion and garlic, lemon juice, and seasonings turn into a luscious sauce. It’s such a simple, but incredibly tasty dish. Enjoy it at the height of summer with fresh corn, or make it year round with frozen corn.
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I love this recipe so much. It sort of feels like a sneaky way to incorporate veggies and still enjoy something indulgent. My husband and I both said to each other “if everything tasted this good, I could easily become vegetarian myself!” It’s certainly perfect for a family dinner or gathering with friends when you need something vegetarian, or add some protein. I’ll be making this one quite frequently this summer, when fresh corn is plentiful, though it’s great during the winter with frozen corn too.
Helpful Tips & Variations
- Fresh, canned, or frozen corn. I love this dish best with fresh corn (the flavor is unmatched in summers prime), but you can definitely make this with drained canned corn or frozen corn, if needed – it’s a great year round dish! If not using fresh corn, you may need more reserved pasta water to replace the starchy sweet “corn milk” provided by the fresh cobs.
- Want to add some protein? Bacon or pancetta are great options and pair perfectly with the creamy corn sauce. You could also add in some chopped rotisserie chicken.
- Use a textured pasta. I love rotini for this recipe because the sauce sticks to all of the grooves. Other pasta shapes can be used but stick with something that has texture for the sauce to stick to.
- Need this to be gluten-free? Just swap in your favorite gluten free pasta, just make sure to use a shape similar to rotini so the sauce can get into all the grooves.
- Add a different herb. If basil isn’t your thing, feel free to replace it with parsley.
Creamy Corn Pasta
Ingredients
- 12 ounces dry rotini pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 cups corn kernels, (5 ears of corn)
- 1 small sweet onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- A few turns of fresh cracked black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 5 large fresh basil leaves, cut chiffonade style
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.
- In the meantime, in a large deep nonstick pan, warm olive oil and butter over medium heat. Once bubbly, add corn kernels, diced onion, minced garlic, coarse salt, black pepper to taste, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes; sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the onion has softened and the corn is tender. Turn off the heat.
- Transfer half the corn mixture to a blender with the lemon juice and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. Puree until smooth.
- Add the cooked pasta to the corn mixture still in the pan and turn the heat back on over low.
- Stir in the corn puree to coat the pasta.
- Add Parmesan and another 1/4 cup pasta water and stir until the cheese melts. Add more pasta water, only if necessary, to create a creamy sauce.
- Season to taste and fold in half the basil.
- Divide pasta among bowls. Garnish with chopped basil and sprinkle with more Parmesan and red pepper flakes, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!
What To Serve With Creamy Corn Pasta
We’ve definitely enjoyed bowls of creamy corn pasta as the entire meal. You can’t go wrong with a nice side salad, especially in the summer with all the fresh veggies. A smaller portion of the pasta could also be served with some grilled chicken (or stir some rotisserie chicken into the pasta).
How To Store & Reheat Leftovers
- Fridge. Store leftover creamy corn pasta in an airtight container in the fridge. It’ll last for 2-3 days.
- Freezer. Seal the fully cooled leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to 2 months. Allow the pasta to thaw in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheat. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave. Add a tiny splash of water to thin the sauce if needed.
More Easy Pasta Recipes
- BLT Pasta
- Creamy Penne with Tomatoes
- Creamy Bacon and Peas Pasta
- Chicken Pot Pie Noodle Skillet
- Creamy Peanut Noodles
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Amy, my wife made this recipe against her wishes tonight but we cut it in half and both absolutely LOVED it! Thanks for convincing a very good 89 year old cook that an old dog can learn new tricks!
This will taste tasty !