creamy corn pasta with basil

At our house, you can't have enough chicken or pasta recipes on hand to mix things up. My husband and I love our pasta. It's terrible to say, but unfortunately, we can eat almost one pound of pasta between us.

Two weeks ago in the New York Times food section, Melissa Clark had a recipe for Creamy Corn Pasta with Basil. It has six ingredients and could be prepared in 30 minutes. What better time to try this recipe out, than during corn season.

I must say it was a quick recipe. It didn't take long to prep the ingredients. Once the pasta was plated, I drizzled some EVOO over it and additional Parmesan cheese. It was good, but I think it could have used a bit more lemon juice to brighten it a bit. On my husband's second helping, he added more black pepper. I should have tried the corn before pureeing it to see how it tasted.

​He said he would eat it again. It's worth a try if you want a quick seasonal pasta dish. Some readers comments on line said they were going to add their dishes bacon, grape tomatoes and shrimp and garlic. Play around with the extra ingredients and see what you come up with.

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Creamy Corn Pasta with Basil
MELISSA CLARK
The New York Times
From the column “A Good Appetite” July 15, 2016
To Get the Most Out Of Corn Season, Reach For Your Blender
 
YIELD: 3 to 4 servings
TIME: 30 minutes
 
INGREDIENTS
 
Fine sea salt
12 ounces dry orecchiette or farfalle
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 bunch scallions (about 8), trimmed and thinly sliced (keep the whites and greens separate)
2 large ears corn, shucked and kernels removed (2 cups kernels)
½ teaspoon ground black pepper, more for serving
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, more to taste
⅓ cup torn basil or mint, more for garnish
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
 Fresh lemon juice, as needed
 
PREPARATION

1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until 1 minute shy of al dente, according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in large sauté pan over medium heat; add scallion whites and a pinch of salt and cook until soft, 3 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water and all but 1/4 cup corn; simmer until corn is heated through and almost tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, transfer to a blender, and purée mixture until smooth, adding a little extra water if needed to get a thick but pourable texture.
3. Heat the same skillet over high heat. Add butter and let melt. Add reserved 1/4 cup corn and cook until tender, 1 to 2 minutes. (It’s O.K. if the butter browns; that deepens the flavor.) Add the corn purée and cook for 30 seconds to heat and combine the flavors.
4. Reduce heat to medium. Add pasta and half the reserved pasta cooking water, tossing to coat. Cook for 1 minute, then add a little more of the pasta cooking water if the mixture seems too thick. Stir in 1/4 cup of the scallion greens, the Parmesan, the herbs, the red pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle with fresh lemon juice to taste. Transfer to warm pasta bowls and garnish with more scallions, herbs, a drizzle of olive oil and black pepper.

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