This Summer Squash Pasta with Corn and Basil is an easy 30-minute summertime pasta made with sweet corn, basil, and summer squash found in our recent CSA boxes. Creamy ricotta and umami accented parmesan help craft a silky sauce without the use of heavy cream that leads to rich flavor while letting peak-season vegetables shine.
Why You'll Love This Creamy Corn Pasta with Summer Squash and Basil
- It's ready in 30 minutes. Major weeknight dinner win!
- Naturally creamy without the use of heavy cream
- We're using summer vegetables at their peak freshness and ripeness
- A great way to use CSA summertime produce
- Low-waste cooking technique with the corn cobs and basil stems to enhance flavor
- Family-friendly meal
- Vegetarian focused
Recipe at a Glance
- Ready in: 30 Minutes
- Servings: 6 for a main course dish
- Best Season to Make This Dish: July through September
- Key Ingredients Used:
- Sweet Corn
- Fresh Basil
- Creamy Ricotta
- Grated Parmesan
- Summer Squash such as Zucchini, Crook Neck, Pattypan
- Level of Difficulty: Easy
- Great For: Weeknight Dinners, Using up CSA Vegetables, Farmers Market Meals
Low Waste Cooking with This Seasonal Dinner Idea
What sets this quick weeknight pasta apart is the way we're infusing the pasta water with corn cobs and basil stems. I cannot stress enough how deliciously brilliant this is. We'll cook our pasta with corn cobs and basil stems until al dente. The pasta, in turn, is infused with the sweet corn and herbaceous basil flavors. It really amps up the volume of flavor for this summer pasta recipe. As a bonus, we're cooking with low food waste ideas in mind. It's summertime meal prep perfection.
Ingredients for This Creamy Corn Pasta with Basil and Summer Squash Recipe
Summer squash and sweet corn are the stars in this creamy corn pasta recipe. For summer squash, I really love the yellow pattypan or crookneck squash varieties for this dish. The yellow squash blends with the sweet yellow corn kernels beautifully.
For our aromatics, minced garlic and finely diced onion are our helpers. If you have shallots on hand you can definitely swap for this.
Crushed red pepper flakes add a bit of warmth to this creamy corn pasta with parmesan dish that's not to be missed. Ricotta mixed with the pasta water helps us to enhance our pasta with a creamy sauce without the use any cream. Lemon zest brightens all the flavor notes and torn fresh basil leaves are the perfect garnish and flavor accompaniment.
As for the dried pasta, use your favorite small shapes. I love small shells and cavatappi pasta for this. I also love the rooster's neck, or creste di gallo, shape for this recipe. You want a pasta shape that will coat well with the sauce we make. For the pasta water, we'll also use the corn cobs and basil stems to infuse the pasta water with those summertime flavors before adding our pasta.
Simple Swaps and Substitutions
Instead of Ricotta you can opt for:
- Cottage Cheese
- Mascarpone
- Créme Fraîche for a little tangy edge
Out of basil? Fear not! You can also use:
- Parsley
- Mint
- Chives
Summer Squash Types that Work Well Here Include:
- Heirloom Summer Squash
- Zucchini
- Pattypan Squash
- Crookneck
How to Make This Creamy Corn Pasta with Fresh Basil
Low Waste Cooking Tip: Corn Cobs and Basil Stems
Instead of discarding the corn cobs and basil stems, let's make good use of them! In this recipe, we simmer them in our pasta water while the pasta cooks. The pasta water is infused with the subtle sweetness of the corn and the herbal aroma of the basil, crafting a more flavorful dish and sauce all while reducing food waste.
This creamy corn pasta with ricotta and basil is ready in under 30 minutes. Here's how we make it:
- Bring pot of salted water to boil with the corn cobs and basil stems. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove cobs and basil stems. Strain pasta into a separate mixing bowl, but reserve 1 cup of the corn-basil infused pasta water for sauce. Set aside.
- In a large, high-sided sauté pan heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until onion begins to soften and become translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, crushed pepper flakes, corn, and squash. Cook until the corn and squash begin to caramelize, about 10 minutes.
- Add corn-basil infused pasta water and ricotta. Stir to combine and bring to simmer. Using immersion blender, carefully blend sauce until smooth. Add in parmesan in batches to help cheese melt. Alternatively, add sautéed veggies to the base of a high-powered blender then add the pasta water and ricotta. Blend on high until smooth. Pour sauce back into sauté pan and add parmesan cheese to melt. Stir in lemon zest.
- Add in the cooked pasta and stir to coat pasta in sauce. Garnish with more grated parmesan and fresh basil. Serve.
More Summertime Pasta Favorites
This summer corn pasta recipe is sure to become a new favorite. And while I love a good pesto pasta and heirloom tomato pasta, there is something about this dish that feels like peak summer.
There are so many summer favorites when it comes to produce and the dishes we can make. Here are a few summer pasta favorites worth adding to your weekly menu:
Yes! Frozen corn works well when fresh summer corn is out of season. I usually will freeze corn kernels from our CSA boxes in summer so I can make this during winter. If using frozen corn, thaw first then sauté until just caramelized before blending. You want to make sure you cook off any extra liquid that comes from defrosting the frozen corn.
Yes. You could substitute ricotta for cottage cheese or mascarpone to achieve a similar texture for a creamy sauce when blending.
I love short pastas with ridges that help hold the sauce beautifully. Think:
Cavatappi
Shells
Orecchiette
Creste di Gallo
Penne Rigate
Yes, you can. If opting to prep this as part of weekly meal prep, store portioned out pasta servings in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can reheat in a skillet with a tablespoon or two or water to help thin the sauce slightly and then add another grate of parmesan, as desired.
Absolutely. I love serving this alongside a Tuscan marinated grilled chicken, grilled Italian Sausage, Garlic Shrimp, Crispy Pancetta, or cooked white beans like Royal Corona or Cannellini.
Creamy Corn Pasta with Basil and Summer Squash
Equipment
- 1 high-performance blender or immersion blender
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried pasta of choice
- 3 ears fresh corn kernels removed and cobs reserved for pasta water
- 6 basil stems
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup finely diced onion
- 1 large yellow summer squash ends trimmed and finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan
- ½ cup ricotta
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves from approximately 6 basil stems
- Lemon zest
Instructions
- Bring pot of salted water to boil with the corn cobs and basil stems. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove cobs and basil stems. Strain pasta into a separate mixing bowl, but reserve 1 cup of the corn-basil infused pasta water for sauce. Set aside.
- In a large, high-sided saute pan heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until onion begins to soften and become translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, crushed pepper flakes, corn, and squash. Cook until the corn and squash begin to caramelize, about 10 minutes.
- Add corn-basil infused pasta water and ricotta. Stir to combine and bring to simmer. Using immersion blender, carefully blend sauce until smooth. Add in parmesan in batches to help cheese melt. Alternatively, add sauteed veggies to the base of a high-powered blender then add the pasta water and ricotta. Blend on high until smooth. Pour sauce back into saute pan and add parmesan cheese to melt. Stir in lemon zest.
- Add in the cooked pasta and stir to coat pasta in sauce. Garnish with more grated parmesan and fresh basil. Serve.
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