Pasta with corn and pecorino – The best seasonal pasta starts with fresh corn
Black pepper, basil, and Pecorino Romano cheese are all you need to season corn pasta. The striped Gather placemat is by Ferm Living, and the Chunky wine glass is by Bodum.
THE CLASSIC CACIO E PEPE is made with pecorino cheese, black pepper, pasta, and pasta cooking water. I’m leaving the beloved Italian recipe in peace, but it’s a great source of inspiration: I sauté fresh corn in a pan, then blend it with pasta cooking water into a creamy sauce. The flavors are finished with pecorino cheese and fresh basil.
Linguine or spaghetti work beautifully for corn pasta. Bodum’s Nissen spice grinders make quick work of salt and pepper. The Erena plates are by Ferm Living, and the stainless steel colander is by Rösle.
You can find all kinds of versions of this recipe in the depths of the internet. Most of them are made by simply sautéing the corn in a pan and tossing it straight in with the spaghetti. In my opinion, long pasta and small kernels of corn don’t really work well together. You either have to spear the corn onto your fork or eat the pasta first and scrape up the corn from your plate at the end.
“Corn pasta is best served right away. With creamy pastas, it’s always better to have the diners wait for the pasta, not the other way around.”
Blending the corn into a silky sauce feels like a much nicer way to enjoy this pasta. It also brings it closer to the world of creamy classic pastas.
Iittala’s Citterio 98 serving utensils are perfect for both salads and pasta.
Iittala’s deep Solare plate is ideal for serving pasta. The Siena tray is by Artek, and the Vuokko vase is by Arabia.
You can purée the corn either in a blender or with an immersion blender. This step calls for a bit of patience – hot pasta water and sautéed corn will definitely burn on contact, so be careful! Work slowly when blending. And if juggling two hot pans at once feels stressful, you can cook the corn ahead of time and let it wait until the pasta is ready.
Cooked pasta absorbs the sauce surprisingly quickly. If you’ve had to coax your diners to the table and the pasta seems dry, you can loosen it up by mixing in a little warm water. With creamy pastas, it’s always better to have the diners wait for the pasta, not the other way around.
Corn pasta served with basil and Italian Pecorino Romano cheese.
Pasta with corn and pecorino (Serves 4)
Ingredients:
14 oz (400 g) dried pasta (spaghetti or linguine)
2 fresh ears of corn
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion
2 garlic cloves
Juice of ½ lemon
Salt and black pepper
1 ¼ cups (300 ml) pasta cooking water
1 ¾ oz (50 g) pecorino cheese (or Parmesan)
Fresh basil and extra pecorino, for serving
Instructions:
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Finely chop the onion and garlic (they’ll blend into the sauce later). Cut the kernels off the corn cobs.
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the corn first, letting it take on a little toasty color. Lower the heat, then add the onion and sauté until soft with a pinch of salt.
Add the pasta to the boiling water. Grate a couple of handfuls of pecorino cheese and set a blender on the counter. After the pasta has cooked for about 5 minutes, reserve 1 ¼ cups (300 ml) of the pasta cooking water.
Transfer the corn–onion mixture to the blender and add ¾ cup (200 ml) of the reserved pasta water. Blend carefully into a thick sauce. Taste and add the lemon juice. If the sauce is too thick, add more pasta water. Be light-handed with the salt at this stage, as both the pasta and cheese will add their own.
When the pasta is just shy of al dente, drain and return it to the pot. Add the corn purée to the pasta and turn the heat back on. If needed, pour in the rest of the pasta water and let the pasta finish cooking in the sauce. Stir in the pecorino and a generous grind of black pepper. Mix well.
Serve immediately, topped with an extra mound of grated cheese and fresh basil.
See also:
• All tableware >
Featured products may not be available worldwide.
Published on 14 Aug, 2025
