If you're looking for a comfort dish, try this delicious creamy corn pasta. Great as a side to bring to a BBQ or top with seafood or chicken for a main.
Ingredients
- ounces dry shell or orecchiette pasta: 12 piece
- salted butter: 4 Tbsp (divided)
- cloves garlic: 2 piece (minced)
- salt: 0.25 tsp
- black pepper: 0.25 tsp (freshly ground)
- fresh, frozen, or canned corn kernels: 2 cups (divided)
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more: 0.5 cup (for serving)
- red pepper: 0.25 tsp (crushed, optional)
- fresh basil or mint: 0.33333 cup (for garnish, torn)
- lemon juice: 1 Tbsp
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Gather all ingredients. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
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Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil. Stir in shell pasta and return to a boil. Cook pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, 1 minute less than package instructions, about 8 minutes. Drain and reserve 1 1/2 cups pasta cooking water. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
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Melt 1 tablespoon butter in an extra-large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, salt, and black pepper. Cook until fragrant, stirring regularly, about 1 minute. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
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Add 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water and 1 3/4 cup corn. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, until corn is heated through and very tender, 2 minutes for canned corn, 3 minutes for frozen corn, and 6 minutes for fresh corn. Cool for 15 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
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Add cooled corn mixture to a blender and blend until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Add additional pasta water as needed to blend. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
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Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in the extra-large skillet. Add the remaining 1/4 cup corn and cook over medium heat until tender and corn is heated through, about 1 minute. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
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Add corn puree and cook, uncovered, over medium heat until heated through, about 2 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
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Add cooked pasta and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. Stir in Parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper, if using. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, adding more pasta water as needed to reach desired consistency. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
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Stir in basil and lemon juice. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
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Serve with more basil and Parmesan cheese. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios