This Creamy Corn Pasta is the ultimate summer dinner and it is so much easier than it looks. Sweet corn is sauteed with garlic and butter and then blended with ricotta, parmesan, and pasta water into a silky smooth sauce that coats every strand of pasta beautifully.
There is no heavy cream needed because the blended corn and ricotta do all the work. It is a vegetarian meal that is fresh, comforting, and on the table in under 30 minutes! Looking for another summer corn dish? Try this summer corn salad.
Quick
Beginner Friendly
Quick Look: Creamy Corn Pasta
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 👩🍳 Cook Time: 20 minutes
- 🕖 Total Time: 30 minutes
- 🌽 Servings: 6 servings
- ⚡️ Calories: 347 calories per serving (based on nutrition panel)
- 🔥 Cooking Method: Boil pasta and cook dish on stove
- 🛒 Main Ingredients: Pasta, corn, ricotta cheese, and parmesan cheese
- ⭐️ Difficulty: Extremely easy! This is a fast summer dish to make!
Liz left this 5 star review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“This was a winner – easy and delicious with the fresh corn.”
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Great way to enjoy corn – I love summer sweet corn. I usually use it for a simple corn salad, but I was inspired to make a pasta dish with a cream sauce.
- Easy to make – The best part is that this pasta is so simple to make. Sauté corn in a skillet over medium heat while you cook the pasta. Add ricotta cheese and parmesan cheese, then combine and enjoy!
- Summer comfort food – This pasta dish is the perfect combination of comfort food and fresh seasonal flavors. I am sure you will love it whether it is served as an entree or a side dish.
For another flavorful summer meal, try this shrimp pesto pasta salad.
Ingredients you’ll Need
You only need a few simple ingredients to make this flavorful creamy corn pasta.
- Pasta – Long noodles work best for this recipe. Long pasta shapes like fettuccine, pappardelle, mafaldine, or fusilli col buco have more surface area for the creamy corn sauce to cling to. Short pasta will work, but long noodles give you the best sauce-to-pasta ratio in every bite.
- Sweet corn – definitely go for corn on the cob in season! Nothing beats the flavor of fresh corn kernels from the cob. Frozen works great, too, though!
- Olive oil – I use extra virgin olive oil, but you could use a neutral oil as well
- Salted butter – the butter adds a nutty aroma to your sauce that is so delicious
- Salt and pepper – simple but it really ties this dish together
- Ricotta cheese – ricotta is one of my favorites, especially in summer recipes
- Parmesan Cheese – no pasta dish is complete without a bit of parmesan. Make sure to use freshly grated in order for it to melt smoothly.
- Garlic – I love the addition of garlic to this recipe!
It is very easy to turn this into a gluten-free pasta recipe. Simply replace the standard pasta with a gluten free pasta option. My favorite gluten free pasta is a brown rice pasta. You can get a delicious brown rice fusili at Trader Joe’s that would be perfect when mixed with the creamy corn sauce.
For another summer staple, try this chicken casear pasta salad.
How to make Creamy Corn pasta
Step 1: After boiling pasta*, heat oil and add thin garlic slices to the pan and saute for 2-3 minutes. Then add butter.
*Remember to reserve the pasta water before draining. The starchy pasta water is a key ingredient in the sauce. It helps thin the sauce to the right consistency and makes it cling to the pasta perfectly. Do not skip this step!
Step 2: Pour corn into the pan, season with salt and pepper and increase heat to medium. Saute and toss frequently.
Step 3: Pour sauteed corn, ricotta cheese, pasta water, and parmesan cheese into a high speed blender* and blend until smooth.
*A high speed blender gives the smoothest and creamiest sauce. An immersion blender or food processor will also work but the sauce may be slightly less smooth. Be careful when blending hot liquids. Fill the blender no more than halfway, hold the lid down firmly with a towel, and start.
Step 4: Mix cooked pasta with the creamy sauce and serve warm with more parmesan cheese and freshly cracked pepper.
Mad’s Expert Tips for the Best Creamy Corn pasta 🌽
- Save your pasta water before draining. This is the most important step. The starchy pasta water is a key ingredient in the sauce and helps it coat the noodles smoothly. Set a measuring cup next to the stove so you do not forget.
- Use a high speed blender for the smoothest sauce. A high speed blender breaks down the corn kernels completely and gives you a silky, restaurant-quality sauce. Be careful blending hot liquids and hold the lid down firmly.
- Saute the corn long enough. Give the corn a full 10 minutes in the pan over medium heat. This lets it caramelize slightly and brings out its natural sweetness, which makes the sauce taste so much richer and more flavorful.
- Use full fat ricotta. Whole milk ricotta gives the sauce the richest and creamiest texture. Low fat ricotta will make it thinner and less flavorful.
Like ricotta? I also use ricotta in this baked ziti recipe.
Recipe FAQs
Can I use frozen corn instead of fresh?
Yes! Frozen sweet corn works great in this recipe and is available year round. Fresh corn cut right from the cob gives slightly more flavor in summer, but frozen corn is a perfect substitute any time of year.
Can I add protein to this corn pasta?
Yes! Grilled chicken, shrimp, or crispy bacon all work really well mixed into this pasta. Add them after tossing the pasta with the sauce.
Why is my sauce not smooth?
The sauce needs a high speed blender to get completely smooth. A regular blender or food processor may leave some corn texture in the sauce. Also make sure you are blending long enough, at least 60 seconds on high.
Can I make the corn sauce ahead of time?
Yes! Blend the sauce ahead and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a pan over low heat and add a splash of pasta water to loosen it back up before tossing with freshly cooked pasta.
Storage and reheating
Allow the creamy corn pasta recipe to cool completely and then place in an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 6 days.
Reheat gently on the stove top over medium-low heat. Heat until the pasta and sauce are just warmed through and serve. If the sauce seems too thick, thin with a splash of water as you reheat. You can reheat leftovers in the microwave, but I find it tastes better on the stove top.
Garnish reheated pasta with extra parmesan cheese and some fresh cracked black pepper.
Other Simple pasta recipes
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
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Recipe
Creamy Corn Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 oz pasta – I like using a long noodles like fusili col bucco fettuccine, pappardelle, or mafaldine
- 3 cloves garlic cut into thin slices
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp salted butter
- 10 oz sweet corn kernels – fresh or frozen about 4 ears worth of corn
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 cup full fat ricotta cheese
- ½ cup pasta water
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Boil pasta according to package instructions and reserve ½ cup of pasta water. Drain pasta and set aside.
- Heat oil over medium-low heat. Add thin garlic slices to the pan and saute for 2-3 minutes and butter to the pan and let it melt.
- Pour corn into the pan, season with salt and pepper and increase heat to medium. Saute for about 10 minutes tossing frequently.
- Pour sauteed corn, ricotta cheese, pasta water, and parmesan cheese into a high speed blender and blend until smooth.
- Mix cooked pasta with the creamy sauce and serve warm with more parmesan cheese and freshly cracked pepper.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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