Corn Pasta

the only way we should be eating corn in August

I feel like I wait all year to have a good piece of corn, drenched in butter and salt, the perfect crunch offering us no nutrition whatsoever but just pure deliciousness. I’ve been wanting to make a corn pasta sauce for a few summers now and I have tbh, I have never nailed one…until now.

The sweetness is balanced with the fattiness of the mascarpone, we have a fresh element of chives on top and that crunchy, salty, corn garnish is perfection. We all loved it, but give it a try yourself.

Corn Pasta

🔪2 TB unsalted butter

🔪2 TB olive oil

🔪1 shallot, chopped

🔪2 garlic cloves, chopped

🔪 4 ears of corn, kernels removed, cobs broken into 1/3’s

🔪 a couple sprigs of basil

🔪1 # calamari pasta

🔪4 oz mascarpone cheese, room temp

🔪chives, for garnish

🔪freshly grated parm, for garnish

🔪Crunchy corn, crushed, for garnish

🔪kosher salt, to taste

Step 1️⃣ Heat a pasta pot with water and bring to a boil.

Step 2️⃣To a high sided saute pan over medium, add butter and olive oil. Once butter is melted, add shallot and garlic. Cook for about 1 minute. Add in the corn kernels, toss in the butter and olive oil. Season with salt. Add in the cobs. Add about 1 cup of pasta water to the corn pan. There should be enough water to cover the corn and come 1/2way up the cobs. Add in a couple sprigs of basil, cover and let cook for 15 minutes.

Step 3️⃣Meanwhile, generously season your pasta water with salt. Drop the pasta and cook 2 minutes shy of package directions. After 15 minutes, remove the lid and turn heat off. Discard the cobs and the basil. To the base of a blender, add the corn mixture. Add in the mascarpone cheese and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture back into the saute pan.

Step 4️⃣Once pasta is cooked, add the pasta directly into the pan with the corn sauce. Add a ladleful of water, keep the sauce and pasta over medium heat and toss until combined, marrying the two together.

Step 5️⃣Plate and garnish with chives and freshly grated parm.