Creamed Corn Pasta

Creamed Corn Pasta

Fresh corn melts into a creamy sauce that clings to every cranny of this pasta from Victor King of The Essential in Birmingham, Alabama. Any short noodle, like gemelli or casarecce, will work here. Using a vegetable peeler to shave the corn kernels is key to this summery dish: The peeler cuts juicy pieces of fresh corn while leaving rich and creamy corn milk behind to add body and flavor to the sauce.

Ingredients :

• 10 ears fresh yellow corn
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
• 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 small jalapeño, halved, seeds and ribs removed, and thinly sliced (about 2 tablespoon)
• 2 tablespoons plus 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided, plus more to taste
• 3 ounces cream cheese (about 5 tablespoon)
• 1 ½ ounces parmesan cheese (such as sarvecchio) or grana padano cheese, grated (about 1/3 cup)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 8 ounces uncooked conchiglie pasta (such as montebello)
• piment d'espelette or crushed red pepper
• 2 ounces tomme-style cheese (such as thomasville tomme), shaved (about 1/2 cup)

Directions

1. Using a vegetable peeler set over a large bowl, shave corn ears, removing just the curved kernel tops. Using a spoon, scrape remaining corn kernels and milk from cobs into bowl with corn kernel tops. Mixture should pool in bottom of bowl; add up to 2 tablespoons water, if needed. Discard cobs.
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-low. Add shallots, garlic, and jalapeño; cook, stirring often, until shallots are translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Add corn mixture and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring mixture to a gentle simmer over medium-low; cook, stirring occasionally and adding water 2 tablespoons at a time as needed, until loosened and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in cream cheese, grated Parmesan, and butter until Parmesan melts.
3. While shallot mixture cooks, bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil over high. Add 2 tablespoons salt to water; stir in pasta, and return to a boil over high. Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.
4. Add pasta and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt to corn mixture over medium-low; stir to combine, adding reserved cooking liquid, 2 tablespoons at a time, until mixture is creamy and coats pasta. Remove from heat; season with additional salt to taste. Divide pasta mixture evenly among 4 shallow bowls; sprinkle each with a pinch of piment d'Espelette, and top evenly with shaved Tomme-style cheese. —Victor King, The Essential, Birmingham, Alabama