I am fully ready to admit that I bought five ears of corn at the farmers’ market this weekend with the intention of making a corn salad from my cookbook. But then a lazy Sunday afternoon hit, and all I was craving was an easy, creamy, cheesy pasta. And so this Corn and Parmesan Pasta was born, and wow, does it taste like comfort in a bowl.
It’s perfect for an easy weeknight meal when nothing but cheesy pasta will suffice, or for a big weekend family dinner with a nice slab of salmon on the side. The recipe uses a pound of pasta, which I vehemently will argue serves four. The box that says eight servings? Dead to me.
This Corn and Parmesan pasta is inspired by cacio e pepe (as most good things are!), and uses a few low-waste hacks to make it extra delicious. The recipe reuses the corn cobs to make a corn broth, which we then use in the pasta sauce AND to boil the pasta. The corn is sweet enough to add a nice flavor to the sauce that is enhanced by the saltiness of the parmesan. Everything is perfectly in balance, and the minimal ingredients make it an all-time keeper.
Ingredients you will need for the Corn & Parmesan Pasta
What I love about pastas is they are usually 1) delicious, but also 2) VERY simple. This small ingredient list proves that! A few aromatics, corn and cheese are really all you need:
- 4 medium ears of corn, yields 21 ounces / 600 grams of corn kernels
- 1/2 large yellow onion, 3.5 ounces / 100 grams
- 4 garlic cloves
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving
- 1 pound pasta of choice, I prefer linguine for this
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan, 4 ounces / 113 grams, plus more for serving
Step 1: Prepare your mise en place
This Corn & Parmesan pasta happens quickly, so it’s nice to have everything ready to go before you need it!
I like to cut the kernels from the corn cobs first, then halve the cobs. Cutting them in half makes it easier to fit them in the pot when you need to simmer them. Set the corn aside in a bowl so you have it ready to use.
Then thinly slice the onion and garlic (they will all get blended up later, so don’t worry about the cuts being perfect!) and set those aside.
If your pepper isn’t already ground up and if your parmesan isn’t grated, do that next. Then voila! You’re ready to go.
Step 2 – Simmer your corn broth
Now that everything is prepared, you’ll want to fill a large pot with water. Stop around 3 inches from the top. Add the corn cobs to this along with a heaping tablespoon of salt, and bring this to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Let this go while you start the rest of the recipe, it will build flavor for the 15-16 minutes that it’s going!
Step 3 – Prepare the corn sauce and start the pasta
Right next to the simmering pot of corn broth, set a large sauté pan over medium heat. You’ll be working with both burners in tandem. That makes this pasta super quick and efficient, but you’ll need to keep you eye on both!
To make the corn sauce, first start with the aromatics.
Add enough olive oil to coat the surface, about 1/4 cup. Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes, allowing it to soften slightly. Add the garlic, black pepper and corn and cook for an additional 9-11 minutes or until the corn has softened, but before it takes on any color.
Remove the corn cobs from the simmering water. Using a ladle, scoop three cups of the corn broth into the sauté pan with the corn. This will be the base of the sauce.
Bring the corn broth to a boil, add the pasta and boil until just shy of al dente.
Now this is very important – turn off the heat under the sauté pan before using your immersion blender. For both safety and efficiency, don’t skip this!
Immersion blenders only work when the blender is fully submerged. So while the pasta is boiling, tilt the sauté pan to the side, make sure the immersion blender is fully under the sauce, and blend until smooth!
Step 4 – Add the parmesan to the corn pasta sauce
I like to grate my parmesan directly into the sauce. It just saves me a step during mise en place! Whether you are grating it directly into the sauce or you have it already prepped, make sure to add it in four batches. It will melt into the sauce, which is deeply satisfying.
Make sure to taste and season with salt after adding the parmesan. The cheese can be salty, so you don’t want to season beforehand!
Step 5 – Add the pasta, swirl and serve!
Now, the easy part! I like to use tongs to scoop the pasta directly from the pot into the sauté pan holding the corn sauce. You could also do this with a slotted spoon. Don’t drain the pasta water just yet, though!
Swirl the pasta into the corn broth, adding splashes of pasta water as needed. When it’s all smooth and saucy, it’s ready to plate!
Portion into four bowls, top with more parmesan and pepper as you prefer, and serve.
Looking for other pastas to love?
Here are a few favorites from the blog!
This beautiful but simple pasta dish is a distant cousin to Spaghetti alla Nerano, but with punchy flavor from sungold tomatoes, gentle acid from white wine and a touch of cream to accent the the melty zucchini. The dish comes together in minutes, can easily be made plant-based and is one of the most comforting summer pasta recipes that I like to whip up for an easy dinner.
If you’ve never had peaches in a pasta sauce – do not be alarmed, they are about to change your life. This Tomato & Peach Pasta is a classic burst cherry tomato pasta sauce with the slight sweetness of fresh summer peaches. Add a bit of Calabrian chili to balance the spice and this is pasta heaven.
This kale pasta is everything. Creamy, slightly lemony, and just packed with flavor. The whole recipe comes together in minutes and the added kale? Just a bonus.
And that’s it for this Corn & Parmesan Pasta recipe!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you.
Corn & Parmesan Pasta
This creamy corn pasta recipe is quite simple, using sweet corn and salty parmesan to make a creamy, dreamy pasta sauce that is perfect for summer! Originally inspired by cacio e pepe, this corn pasta sauce has parmesan, a hint of black pepper, and corn stock, just to make sure nothing goes to waste!
Equipment
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1 chef’s knife
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1 large pot
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1 high sided sauté pan
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1 Immersion blender
Ingredients
- 4 medium ears of corn yields 21 ounces / 600 grams of corn kernels
- 1/2 large yellow onion 3.5 ounces / 100 grams
- 4 garlic cloves
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper plus more for serving
- 1 pound pasta of choice I prefer linguine for this
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan 4 ounces / 113 grams, plus more for serving
Instructions
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Begin with your mise en place. Cut off the kernels from the four ears of corn and set them aside. Halve the remaining cobs and set them aside.
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Finely slice the 1/2 yellow onion and 4 garlic cloves and set aside.
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Fill a large pot with water, stopping 3 inches from the top. Bring this to a simmer and salt generously with a heaping tablespoon of Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Add in the corn cobs and let simmer for 15-16 minutes while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
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Set a large, high-sided sauté pan over medium heat next to the simmering pot of water. Add enough olive oil to coat the surface, about 1/4 cup. Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes, allowing it to soften slightly. Add the garlic, black pepper and corn and cook for an additional 9-11 minutes or until the corn has softened, but before it takes on any color.
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Remove the corn cobs from the simmering water. Using a ladle, scoop three cups of the corn broth into the sauté pan with the corn.
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Keep the pot of water over the heat and increase the heat so that the pot of water reaches a boil. Add the pound of pasta and cook according to package instructions to reach al dente.
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Turn off the heat under the sauté pan (this is very important for safety!). Tilt the pan to the side, fully submerge your immersion blender, and blend until the corn is a smooth sauce.
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When you’re done blending, turn the heat under the sauté pan back to low. Add the parmesan cheese in four batches, letting it melt into the sauce. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as preferred.
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When the pasta is finished, scoop it directly into the corn sauce. Add a splash of pasta water to help the sauce cling to the pasta. Mix until creamy.
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To serve, scoop the pasta into four bowls and top with more parmesan cheese and black pepper!
