A bowl of corn pasta garnished with fresh basil leaves.

Here’s what you’ll need to make it

Kitchen tools

Shell pasta in a bowl with fresh corn and basil, garnished with lemon zest and black pepper.

Ingredients you might need to pick up

  • Corn on the cob
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • Lemon
  • Shallot – you can substitute sweet onion or green onion if you don’t have any shallots.
  • Shell pasta – you can use a different type of pasta, but the we love the way the shells hold onto the pieces of corn.

Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.

A large skillet with shell pasta, fresh corn sauce and sliced basil, with a wooden spoon.

How to make this recipe

Prep the corn. You’ll need to remove the kernels from two ears of corn and grate two ears of corn for the sauce using a box grater. Make sure you keep all of the just from the corn.

Set them aside in separate bowls while you prepare the rest of the recipe.

Boil the pasta. Cook the pasta according to package directions for al dente – different packages will vary – and make sure the water is salted.

Before draining the pasta, pull about 1 cup of pasta water from the pot and reserve it for the sauce.

Make the sauce. Heat a large skillet to medium high. Once it’s hot, add the olive oil, along with the shallots. Sauté until tender and translucent. Add the corn and grated corn juice.

Let it cook until the corn has brightened and become slightly tender. Then, reduce heat to low and allow the sauce to simmer until the pasta is ready.

Close up of corn pasta, showing the corn kernels, garnished with grated parmesan cheese, black pepper and fresh basil leaves.

Toss the pasta. Add the drained pasta to the pan with your sauce. Add in pasta water (about 1/2 cup to start) and stir until the pasta is evenly coated with sauce.

Garnish and serve. If need, add more pasta water and adjust seasoning with salt & pepper, to taste. Top with fresh basil just before serving with your favorite grated cheese.

Corn pasta in a bowl with a fork.

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Corn pasta in a bowl with a fork.

Corn Pasta

It’s pasta with corn! This simple corn pasta recipe showcases the best summer corn has to offer with sweet corn kernels fresh from the cob, and a creamy corn sauce, garnished with bright, herby basil.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces shell pasta
  • 4 cobs corn (divided)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves (minced)
  • 1 shallot (finely chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1/2 cup basil (finely sliced)

Instructions

  • Remove the kernels from two ears of corn. Set aside.
  • Grate the remaining corn cobs. Reserve the pulp and juice for the sauce. Set aside.
  • In a large stockpot with salted water, cook pasta according to package directions for al dente. Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of pasta water for the sauce.
  • While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet to medium-high. Heat olive oil and sauté the garlic and shallots. Sauté until tender and translucent, about 2 minutes.
  • Add the corn kernels and continue to sauté until the corn is bright yellow and tender.
  • Mix in the grated corn with its juices and the lemon zest.
  • Add drained pasta to the skillet and stir to coat, adding about 1/2 cup of pasta water to create a sauce.
  • Adjust seasoning with salt & pepper, to taste, and garnish with fresh basil before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 284kcal Carbohydrates: 52g Protein: 9g Fat: 5g Saturated Fat: 1g Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g Monounsaturated Fat: 3g Trans Fat: 0.004g Sodium: 11mg Potassium: 266mg Fiber: 3g Sugar: 5g Vitamin A: 164IU Vitamin C: 4mg Calcium: 18mg Iron: 1mg

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