A creamy vegetarian pasta dish made with fresh sweet corn cut from the cob and and tons of fresh basil. This easy and unique pasta recipe only takes 30 minutes to make for the perfect summer weeknight meal.

Corn and basil campanelle pasta in a skillet with a wooden spoon. — A creamy vegetarian pasta dish you will want to make all summer long.

One of the best parts of summer is fresh, sweet corn on the cob. I just can't get enough. This easy pasta recipe will quickly become your new favorite way to enjoy summer's bounty. If you love creamy pastas, you will be amazed at how delicious and creamy this sauce is without using any milk or cream. It's just so good!

This pasta is perfect during peak corn season when it's super hot and you don't want to spend a lot of time cooking. Sweet corn right off the cob is cooked with shallots and garlic in butter and olive oil and tossed with hot cooked pasta, parmesan cheese, cracked black pepper and pasta water to create a velvety, creamy sauce. Stir in some fresh sweet basil at the end for a pop of fresh, herby flavor and you've got yourself an amazing summer meal that the whole family will love!

Ingredients

All you need is a handful of fresh ingredients to make this super easy recipe.

Campanelle Pasta - this is my favorite type of pasta to use in this recipe. It's shaped like a cone with a ruffled edge and perfect for catching the corn kernels. If you don't have campanelle pasta, the best substitutes would be farfalle (or bowtie pasta), conchiglie (little shells), orecchiette, fusilli, penne or rigatoni.
Fresh sweet corn on the cob - I highly recommend sticking with fresh sweet corn cut off the cob. Frozen sweet corn kernels will work in a pinch but it will just not taste the same using canned corn.
Shallot - adds a mild, sweet onion flavor.
Fresh garlic
Parmesan cheese
Fresh basil leaves
Butter
Olive oil - use good quality olive oil as it will make up the base of the sauce.
Cracked black pepper - a generous amount of black pepper really complements the flavor of the sweet corn.
Pasta water - the best part about this recipe is that you don't need any heavy cream to make creamy pasta. The starchy pasta water added to the dish helps transform the ingredients into a luscious, creamy pasta sauce. If you're using and alternative or gluten-free pasta, you will need to substitute with a bit of water and cornstarch to achieve best results.
Variations - add some halved fresh cherry tomatoes. Switch up the herbs and use fresh oregano, Italian parsley or mint. Swap a pinch or two of red pepper flakes for black pepper to add heat. Add some lemon zest or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Make it dairy-free and vegan and use vegan butter and vegan parmesan cheese.

Honeycomb pattern white bowl of creamy sweet corn and basil pasta with a gold napkin and fork in the background. — An easy, flavor packed summer pasta dish.

Method

Shuck the corn and use a sharp knife to remove the kernels from the cob. After all of the kernels are removed, use the back of your knife to scrape the cobs and release all of the milky liquid. Don't skip this step, it adds so much flavor to the sauce!

Brown hands using a knife to scrape corn cobs into a white bowl. — Scrape the cobs to get the milky liquid out to add flavor.

Boil the pasta in salty water and cook until one minute shy of al dente. While the pasta is cooking, mince the garlic cloves and shallot. Before draining the pasta, reserve a cup of pasta water.

In the empty pasta pot or a large sauté pan, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté for 2-3 minutes until translucent. Toss in the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. Add corn and juices to the pan, season with a pinch of salt and cook for an additional minute.

Shallots and garlic cooking in butter in a skillet with a wooden spoon. — Sauté shallots and garlic in olive oil and butter.

Sweet corn, shallots and garlic simmering in pasta water, butter and olive oil in a sauté pan with a wooden spoon. — Sauté shallots and garlic in olive oil and butter.

Add hot pasta, parmesan cheese, black pepper and half of the cup of the reserved pasta water. Toss until everything is well combined and the sauce has a creamy, silky texture. Add more pasta water if needed.

Chiffonade the basil leaves by stacking them on top of each other, rolling gently into a log and slicing into thin strips. Stir fresh basil into pasta. Serve topped with more parmesan and black pepper if desired.

Skillet with creamy corn and basil pasta and a wooden spoon. — Finish with tons of fresh basil for a pop of flavor.

Tips for success

To get the most corn flavor out of the dish, don't skip scraping the juices from the cob.
Don't forget to reserve some of the starchy cooking water from the pasta. This what makes the sauce creamy without using any cream. If you use alternative or gluten free pasta, the cooking water will not be starchy enough and you will need to supplement with this substitute.
Use fresh, high quality ingredients. This recipe has very simple flavors and the ingredients will make a difference in how it tastes!

What to serve with Creamy Sweet Corn and Basil Pasta

This creamy vegetarian pasta is hearty enough for a main course and just perfect served with a simple green salad. You can also serve it as a side with: