summer is for...fun pastas!
When I say this pasta is fun, I mean it’s got the trifecta of late august goodies: roasted sweet corn, fresh tomatoes, and homemade pesto. It’s literally everything you could possibly want in a pasta dish. As far as the ingredients go, they’re refreshingly simple. I recommend going to your local farmer’s market to scoop up their best produce, but you’ll find these items at your local grocer as well. There are many ways to cook your corn and your tomatoes as well, but trust me when I say roasted and blistered are the way to go. The flavors will take you to another dimension, and you’ll be wanting this season to last the rest of the year.
⟶ the recipe
summer pasta with pesto, roasted corn,
& blistered tomatoes
ingredients
1 box of short pasta such as orecchiette or farfalle
2 ears of sweet corn
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups of cherry tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
Parmesan for grating on top
Basil pesto
2 cups loosely packed basil leaves, thick stems removed
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
4 tablespoons grated parmesan
Salt and pepper
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Prep time
15 minutes
Cook time
1 hour
Total time
1 hour 15 minutes
4 servings
instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to instructions or until al dente. Drain in a large colander, and reserve the pot for later.
After shucking, brush each ear of corn liberally with olive oil, and wrap separately in a piece of foil. Place wrapped corn on a baking sheet and roast for about 25 minutes. After removing and once cool enough to handle, slice the kernels of corn from the cob and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the extra olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the cherry tomatoes, and cook, allowing them to blister, for about 2 minutes. Toss the tomatoes, getting the other sides onto the heat, and continue sizzling for about 2 more minutes. Add the garlic, and season with some freshly ground black pepper. Once tomatoes look charred and garlic is lightly browned, remove from heat and set aside.
To make the basil pesto, bring a small pot of water to boil. Add the basil leaves and blanche for about 30 seconds. Immediately transfer the basil to a bowl of ice water.
Heat a small skillet on medium, and add the pine nuts. Toast, tossing occasionally, for 3-5 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.
Add the garlic, parmesan, and pine nuts to a food processor, and pulse. Add half of the olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and pulse again.
Squeeze the excess water from the basil leaves and add to the food processor. Pulse again until combined, then drizzle in the rest of the olive oil. Pulse again as needed until smooth.
Add a bit of olive oil to the large pot from the pasta, and heat on low. Add the pasta back to the pot, and stir in the basil, tossing to coat. Stir in the tomatoes and corn kernels. Toss pasta and allow everything to reheat before serving with freshly grated parmesan.
⟶ recipe notes
- When making the pesto, you can skip the blanching step if you’d like or you’re short on time. I like to do it just because it gives the pesto that bright green look versus a darker, almost brown-ish green color
- You can also roast the corn with the husks pulled down if that’s how you like to do it. I prefer to shuck the corn completely before roasting, because it just feels less messy and simpler
⟶ modifications
- If you don’t have the time or the fresh basil to make homemade pesto, there are plenty of great jarred pestos you can find at the store. The pasta will still taste great, but if you are able to find fresh basil, I highly recommend making it yourself!
⟶ make it ahead and store it
- You can make the pesto ahead of time and store in a jar in the fridge for up to 5 days
- You can also roast the corn ahead of time and store it/set it aside until ready to use. I recommend this if you’re short on time or want to make this dish on a weeknight. Roasting corn is always a fun Sunday afternoon activity! Alternatively, if you have a grill and would like to grill the corn for more of a charred flavor, you can do that as well!
- If you’ve made the entire pasta dish and you have leftovers, you can store it in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days
