Creamy Corn Pasta Recipe (Sweet Corn Pasta Recipe)

Corn pasta also known as Sweet corn pasta is a simple refreshing summer pasta dish that is light yet creamy. The sauce doesn’t use milk, cream, butter or béchamel sauce, but has one secret ingredient to make the creamiest sauce ever. Try this corn pasta next time when you get your hands on sweet corn and you will love it.

Corn Pasta Recipe

My daughter loves sweet corn and pasta so much. So I made a sauce using just sweet corn without adding any cream or milk. To make the pasta creamy, I used boiled potatoes to create the creamy texture and it just worked.

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This corn pasta dish is the simplest one you can make. My 2 year daughter loves this and my garlic butter spaghetti.

About Corn Pasta

Corn pasta also known as sweet corn pasta is a delicious insanely creamy pasta made with just corn. You don’t need milk, cream or béchamel sauce to create the creamy texture.

I use one secret ingredient which brings this sauce together without adding butter or cream. Try it mac and cheese & chicken alfredo.

The creamy corn sauce is made with olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, sweet corn which are sautéed before grinding. To make the sauce extra cream, I added some boiled potatoes which blends with the sauce to create the texture we want.

Keep in mind, not to add too much potatoes, else the sauce may get so thick and gloopy. With the right amount of potatoes, you get the creamy texture with intense corn flavour.

I like to use fresh sweet corn that I shuck myself. You can scrape the kernels using a sharp knife. I like to place the corn on cob in the middle of a bundt cake pan. Use a sharp knife to shuck the corn which easily removes the kernels.

If fresh sweet corn is not in season, you can use frozen corn. Also when adding potatoes, never add too much, else the sauce may get gloopy and you might need to thin it down with more water.

Instead of potatoes, you can use carrots, butternut squash, sweet potatoes or pumpkin.

Ingredients

Pasta – I used chickpeas spaghetti for this recipe so it is more healthy. You can use any pasta like macaroni, penne or fusili. Whole wheat lentil pasta and gluten free pasta also works.
Sweet Corn – fresh or frozen corn can be used.
Potatoes – just a little bit of boiled potatoes are used to make the sauce. You can use boiled carrots, pumpkin or sweet potatoes.
Onions & Garlic – flavouring which gives a slightly aroma to the sauce.
Olive Oil – this pasta dish uses high quality olive oil, which is lighter than butter.
Herbs & Seasonings – chilli flakes, Italian herbs, salt is used for seasoning.
Parmesan Cheese – be generous with the cheese, which adds umami flavour to the sauce.
Lemon & Lemon Zest – adds a zingy citrus note with refreshing summer taste.

Tips Making it Super Creamy

Use very little potatoes – which is key to get super creamy texture without tasting gloopy. Also to make the corn taste shine, you need to be cautious with the amount you add.

Reserve pasta water – pasta cooking liquid is gold, never discard it. it helps create the sauce super creamy and emulsify it.

Be Generous – with the parmesan cheese and lemon juice. These two are main ingredient which make this pasta insanely addictive and refreshing without making it too heavy.

Make it special – to make this pasta extra special, you can char some sweetcorn on open flame and top the pasta with it. It adds smoky taste.

Step by Step Pictures

Cooking Corn

1)Heat olive oil in a pan. Add in garlic, green onions, lemon zest and let them sizzle in the oil for few seconds.

2)Now add in the fresh sweet corn into the oil. You can use frozen sweet corn too, but if you can get your hands on fresh, then it is best.

3)Mix the corn into the oil and cook on high heat so it can get some colour.

4)Stir for 5 to 6 minutes until the corn gets slight colour. You can see there is some colour in the corn which means flavour.

5)Now pour in ½ cup of water, scrape the pot well to take any charred bits from the pan.

6)Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 minutes until corn is cooked.

7)Now add in Italian seasoning, salt, red chilli flakes and mix into the corn.

8)Turn off the heat and allow to cool a bit.

9)Take it off the heat, remove ¼ cup of the corn mixture in a separate bowl which we will add in the end.

Cooking pasta

10)Meanwhile cook pasta. Bring lots of water to a full boil, add salt and pasta.

11)Cook as per package directions.

Make corn sauce

12)While the pasta is cooking, Take the cooled corn in a blender jar.

13)add in boiled potatoes, parmesan cheese and lemon juice.

14)Blend till it gets creamy. Add in pasta cooking water to help with the blending. It should get creamy and smooth.

15)Your creamy sweet corn pasta sauce is ready.

Making Corn Pasta

16)Now take the cooked pasta in the same pot in which you sautéed corn. Add in the corn sauce, reserved sautéed corn. The heat should be on very low.

17)Pour in the pasta cooking liquid and mix well till it get creamy and saucy. You can add more pasta water as needed.

18)Toss to combine. Heat it just a little bit until everything gets hot.

19)Serve immediately.

Expert Tips

This recipe doesn’t use cream or milk. So you will be needing the pasta cooking liquid to emulsify the sauce. You can add more to make it creamy.
I used spaghetti, you can use any pasta as you like. If fresh corn is not available, you can use frozen.
Don’t add too much potatoes, else the sauce will get so thick.
Any herbs like basil, parsley can be added into the pasta.
Top the pasta with parmesan cheese before serving.
You can add more cooked sweetcorn if you like bit of corn in your pasta.

Serving & Storage

Corn pasta is best served piping hot right after it is made. Since it has potatoes, the sauce may get thick as it sits. If you are serving later, you can toss the pasta with the sauce just before serving. If your pasta gets thick, you can add more pasta water to loosen it.

FAQ

Can I use frozen sweet corn in this recipe?

Absolutely, if fresh corn is not in season. You can easily use frozen sweet corn. No need to thaw it, just use it directly.

What other pasta types can I use?

This sauce is perfect with any pasta type like macaroni, penne or even fusilli. The sauce is thick so it coats any pasta.

Can I make this sauce in advance?

Absolutely. You can make this sauce in advance, store in an air tight container in fridge upto a week. You might need to add more water at the time of reheating.

What can I use instead of potatoes?

Good question! you can use boiled carrots, pumpkins or sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes.

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