Summer Corn Pasta With Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Vegan and Gluten Free Friendly Options

Originally published: August 9, 2021

Happy to finally share that my Summer Corn Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes is up on the blog! Needless to say, it's been really weird watching the world rapidly reopen. And with that, my emotions have been all over the place. My creativity levels aren't what they used to be, but the amount of joy this pasta has brought my family and I was too good not to share.

There’s something so decadent about making a weeknight pasta that utilizes simple pantry ingredients such as corn, pine nuts, and sun-dried tomatoes in a luxurious way. This dish kind of does it all for me. It’s savory and indulgent while remaining light and refreshing thanks to hints of lemon juice, zest, and Pecorino Romano. Not to mention, it's a fun play on textures with the rigatoni and crispy sun-dried tomatoes. It’s everything you’d want in a summer pasta dish and more. This recipe consists of ten ingredients, takes 20 minutes to make, and serves four, though I doubt there will be leftovers.

Ingredients

Serves four

1 lb tube shaped pasta (I used an organic rigatoni) 

3 cups of frozen or fresh corn

3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

4-5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

2-3 tbsp of fresh lemon juice

Zest of 1 small lemon

Pecorino Romano (if vegan, use vegan Parmesan- I like Violife)

Sea salt & black pepper to taste

Flat leaf parsley (optional)

Red pepper flakes (optional)

Method

Assemble your mise en place. After, in a small sauté pan, lightly toast the pine nuts until they’re golden and set aside. 

Take the same pan and lightly sauté the sun-dried tomatoes in a splash of extra virgin olive oil. If you are using sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, omit adding extra oil. Season with sea salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt it heavily, it should taste like the ocean. Once boiling, add pasta, stirring. Cook according to the package instructions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water, drain and set aside. 

In the same pot, over medium heat, add ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil and the thinly sliced garlic. If you’d like to add some heat, add in your desired amount of red pepper flakes. Season with sea salt and black pepper, and let sauté for 2 minutes or until lightly golden. Quickly add the corn and combine until tender. Slowly add the pasta back in along with splashes of the pasta water to help emulsify. Add fresh lemon juice, half of the zest, and season with sea salt and black pepper.