Fresh tender sweet corn and just picked vine-ripened cherry tomatoes shine brightly next to sweet shrimp in this summer pasta that gets tossed with a light wine sauce flecked with mild and nutty Grana Padano cheese and then finished with lemon zest and fresh basil. It will become a favorite "go-to" with its quick prep and barely there clean-up.
Like clockwork, every year right about the beginning of July, the tent shows up in a parking lot on the main drag in town -- a sure sign that the truck containing the most amazing sweet corn is not far behind. Seriously, this corn is so fresh, it is often still warm from the sun -- is so tender, it can be eaten fresh off the cob.
This sweet corn forward shrimp pasta features corn that has been cut uncooked directly off of the cob.
But we aren't going to let those cobs go to waste! Take the back edge of a butter knife and scrape it down the sides of the cob, it will produce a sweet "cream" referred to as "corn milk". This gets added to the tasty sauce of corn and burst cherry tomatoes along with a bit of wine, cheese, basil and lemon.
(If fresh sweet corn isn't available, go ahead and substitute frozen sweet corn.)
In the spirit of summer's harvest, serve this alongside some of my other favorites:
- Ruth's Marinated Cucumber and Onion Salad
- Lemony Mediterranean Buttermilk Coleslaw
- Creamy Dilled Cucumbers
Ingredients
- farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
- extra-virgin olive oil
- large shrimp
- kosher salt and black pepper
- shallots
- cherry or grape tomatoes
- fresh corn
- garlic
- red-pepper flakes
- dry white wine
- lemon
- unsalted butter
- Grana Padano cheese (substitute Parmesan)
- fresh basil leaves
See recipe card for quantities.
Jump to RecipeInstructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Prepare pasta according to the package instructions, cooking until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking water.
Use a knife to cut corn from the cob. Using the back of the knife, scrape the cob to release the “milk” or juice from the cob into a bowl. Reserve.
Pat shrimp dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp
Sauté until pink and cooked through, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to a bowl and reserve.
To the same skillet add remaining olive oil, add the shallots and the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are translucent and tomatoes start to blister.
Add the corn kernels, ½ teaspoon salt and a few grinds of fresh black pepper and continue to cook until the tomatoes burst. Add the garlic and the red pepper flakes and stir for another minute, until fragrant.
Reduce heat to medium and add wine and lemon juice, stirring to release browned bits. Cook until almost completely reduced.
Whisk in the butter.
Add Grana Padano, reserved corn “milk” and lemon zest, stirring until cheese is melted.
Add in shrimp along with juices and pasta and toss to combine. (If too thick, add reserved pasta water a tablespoon at a time to thin.)
Remove from heat and stir in basil.
Serve in bowls, topping with more grated cheese, basil and a good grind of black pepper.
Hint: If you are using cherry tomatoes that are still slightly "this-side of ripe", speed the cooking process and go ahead and coax them to burst by simply pressing down with the back of a spoon.
This Summer Sweet Corn, Tomato and Shrimp Pasta is intended to take advantage of the seasonal fresh sweet corn that is abundant mid-summer. If fresh sweet corn isn't available, substitute with 2 cups of thawed frozen sweet corn.
Substitutions
- Grana Padano -- I love the mild nutty taste of Grana Padano. if you can't find it, substitute Parmesan cheese or the sharper Pecorino Romano
- Fresh Sweet Corn - if fresh sweet corn isn't available, use two cups of frozen sweet corn and skip the step where the corn cobs are scraped.
- Pasta - instead of farfalle pasta, use another pasta that will "take" to sauce, like conchiglie (shells0, penne, mezze rigate or lumache.
- Bay Scallops- substitute one pound of sweet bay scallops instead of the shrimp.
- Chicken - instead of shrimp, dice 1 pound of chicken thighs into 1" to 1-½" pieces and saute in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until lightly browned and cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Vegetarian -- this can easily be adapted for vegetarians by leaving out the shrimp. But, how about adding in sliced zucchini, which takes on a "meaty" texture when cooked. Saute it in a tablespoon of olive oil with salt and pepper instead of the shrimp. Reserve and toss in with the pasta.
- Gluten Free - substitute with gluten free pasta or gluten free gnocchi
- Cherry Tomatoes - while cherry tomatoes are optimal -- and readily available year round, in a pinch, remove seeds and coarsely chop 1-½ pounds of fresh tomatoes and saute until softened. (And, if you really want to streamline cooking, substitute a 14 ounce can of cherry tomatoes.)
Equipment
- large pot for pasta
- 12" skillet
Storage
Store in the refrigerator covered for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stove top over low heat. There really is no need to reheat it -- it stands on its own served at room temperature
🍽️Recipe
Summer Sweet Corn, Tomato and Shrimp Pasta
Equipment
- large pot
- 12" skillet
Ingredients
- 12- ounces farfalle pasta prepared according to package directions
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1- pound large shrimp peeled and deveined
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 shallots diced (⅔ cup)
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
- 4 ears of fresh corn about 2 cups, cobs reserved
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
- ½ cup dry white wine
- Zest and juice from one lemon
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 5 pieces
- ½ cup grated Grana Padano cheese substitute Parmesan, plus more for serving
- ¼ cup julienned basil leaves plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Prepare pasta according to the package instructions, cooking until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking water.
- Using a knife cut corn from the cob and reserve. Using the back of the knife, scrape the cob to release the “milk” or juice from the cob into a bowl. Reserve.
- Pat shrimp dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp and sauté until pink and cooked through, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to a bowl and reserve.
- To the same skillet add remaining olive oil, add the shallots and the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are translucent and tomatoes start to blister.
- Add the corn kernels, ½ teaspoon salt and a few grinds of fresh black pepper and continue to cook until the tomatoes burst. Add the garlic and the red pepper flakes and stir for another minute, until fragrant.
- Reduce heat to medium and add wine and lemon juice, stirring to release browned bits. Cook until almost completely reduced. Whisk in the butter. Add Grana Padano, reserved corn “milk” and lemon zest, stirring until cheese is melted. Add in shrimp along with juices and pasta and toss to combine. (If too thick, add reserved pasta water a tablespoon at a time to thin.)
- Remove from heat and stir in basil.
- Serve in bowls, topping with more grated cheese, basil and a good grind of black pepper.
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