Creamy Corn Pasta with Basil and Summer Squash

With the abundance of summertime corn and squash in our recent CSA boxes, this Creamy Corn Pasta with Basil and Summer Squash has become a recurring dinner for our weekly menu. It's got the essence of mac and cheese but we're crafting a creamy sauce using peak summer produce featuring sweet corn. You're in for a treat! Scroll down to see how we make this and don't forget to pin or print the recipe card to add to your dinner plans menu this week.

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.

What We'll Need 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 paddy pan 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 warming heat 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 creamy sauce. 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.

How to Make This Creamy Corn Pasta

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

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: