I love this recipe from Melissa Clark, especially the corn puree! I’ve made a few adjustments, including making it spicier (of course), scaling it to 1 pound of pasta (is it just me or can you never find 12 ounces of pasta?), and the addition of toasted, salted pistachios sprinkled on at the end. We love the crunch and flavor the pistachios add and hope you love it too! 

Adapted from Melissa Clark’s Creamy Corn Pasta With Basil

Ingredients 

• 1 pound of short pasta, I like Mezzi Rigatoni 
• 5 tablespoons of butter, cold from the fridge is fine 
• 3 to 4 large scallions, more if they’re small, sliced (keep the white/light green parts separate from the dark green) 
• 2 Serranos, sliced (use less if you don’t like too spicy)
• 2 jalapeños, sliced (use less if you don’t like it spicy)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced 
• 4 large ears of corn, shucked and kernels removed (4 cups)
• A couple of tablespoons of fresh basil, julienned 
• Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, measured with the heart aka a lot 
• 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of toasted, salted pistachios, roughly chopped 
• Fresh lemon juice, I use a 1/4 of a lemon 
• Diamond kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Red pepper flakes, to taste, optional 

Tip

This is optional, but after I’ve removed the kernels of the corn, I love adding the corn cobs to the water that I’m going to boil the pasta in. I remove them before it’s time to drain the pasta. Who knows if it makes that much of a difference but I feel like it imparts more corn flavor into the dish!

Directions

1. Cook your pasta in well-salted, boiling water until pretty al dente — it will finish cooking in the sauce later. Drain and reserve at least 2 1/2 cups of pasta water.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons of butter, followed by the white/light green parts of the scallions, garlic, and however many peppers you’re using. Cook until they begin to soften about 3 to 5 minutes, and then add all but 1/2 cup of the corn. Season with a teaspoon of salt and let it cook together for another 5 minutes. Add a 1/2 cup of pasta water and let it cook for a few minutes. Transfer to a food processor and puree until smooth. 
3. In that same skillet over medium heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, followed by the dark green scallions and the remaining 1/2 cup of corn. Season with a pinch of salt and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until the corn is slightly tender. Add the corn puree and stir to combine. 
4. Turn down the heat to low and add the pasta and a 1/2 cup of pasta water. Stir to combine and continue adding pasta water as needed to create an emulsified sauce and cook until the pasta is cooked to your liking. 
5. Once done, off the heat, stir in the basil, a squeeze of lemon juice, and the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Taste and season with more salt, freshly ground black pepper, and red pepper flakes, if using. Top each bowl with some of the pistachios and serve.