Description
A vibrant and creamy summer pasta dish featuring wide pappardelle noodles tossed in a luscious corn and basil mascarpone cream sauce, complemented by sweet blistered cherry tomatoes and fresh herbs. Perfect for a light yet satisfying meal in just 40 minutes.
Ingredients
For the Pasta and Sauce
- 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (divided, plus more for serving)
- 2 ears of corn, shucked and kernels removed
- ¼ cup water
- ⅓ cup mascarpone cheese
- ½ cup packed basil leaves (plus more for garnish)
- ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 (8.8 oz) bag pappardelle pasta
- ¼ cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated (plus more for serving)
- Kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- Flaky sea salt for serving
For Blistered Tomatoes
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil: Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Season generously with about 2 tablespoons of Kosher salt to flavor the pasta water.
- Add pasta: Place the pappardelle pasta into the boiling water. Use tongs or a spatula to gently break up the pasta nests. Cook for approximately 9 minutes until al dente.
- Reserve cooking liquid: Before draining the pasta, reserve about ½ cup of the cooking liquid. Drain the pasta and set aside.
- Sauté the onion and corn: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the thinly sliced red onion and sauté until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the corn kernels, season with 1 teaspoon Kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper, then cook for 3 more minutes until the corn is tender.
- Purée into a sauce: Transfer the cooked corn and onion mixture to a blender or food processor, reserving ¼ cup of corn kernels to the side. Add ⅓ cup mascarpone cheese and ½ cup packed basil leaves to the blender. Blend the mixture until very smooth, roughly 20–30 seconds. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Blister the tomatoes: In the same skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over high heat. Add the cherry tomatoes and season with ½ teaspoon Kosher salt. Cook, stirring often, until tomatoes are blistered and softened, about 6–8 minutes.
- Toss together: Add the cooked pasta, blistered tomatoes, basil cream sauce, reserved corn kernels, and ¼ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano to the skillet over medium heat. Toss thoroughly to combine. Add ¼ cup of the reserved pasta cooking water to thin the sauce; add more if needed. Give one final toss to ensure everything is well coated.
- To serve: Divide the pasta between serving bowls. Drizzle each serving with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle additional Parmesan, garnish with thinly sliced basil leaves if desired, and finish with freshly cracked black pepper and a generous pinch of flaky sea salt.
Notes
- To enhance flavor, use fresh corn when in season for the best sweetness and texture.
- If you don’t have pappardelle, wide ribbon pasta like fettuccine or tagliatelle can be used as a substitute.
- When blending the corn mixture, be careful not to over-blend for a too-thin sauce; adjust reserved pasta water accordingly.
- For a richer taste, add a splash of heavy cream in the sauce blending step if desired.
- Leftover sauce can be refrigerated for up to 2 days and gently reheated with a little water or broth to loosen.
