Summery Tagliatelle With Corn, Cherry Tomatoes and Basil
Summer is officially here and I cannot wait to share this summery pasta recipe with you! This is the type of recipe I like to cook with a ice cold glass of rosé in hand (the recipe even calls for a splash of it!) and a relaxed playlist in the background. It’s quick enough to throw together last-minute and it’s chock full of flavors that scream summer to me – sweet corn, juicy cherry tomatoes and fresh basil. If you have any pesto laying around, I highly recommend adding a few dollops on top too – it adds another basil element and is so so delicious with the dish.
Serves 5
INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp EVOO
2 whole garlic cloves, peeled + crushed
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved and divided
Kernels from 4 cobs of white corn, divided
1/4 cup dry rosé or white wine
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 cup corn stock (veggie or chicken stock work too!)
Kosher salt
1 lb fresh or dry tagliatelle (or pasta of choice!)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
Pesto (optional)
Fresh basil for garnishing
METHOD
Bring a large pot of water up to a boil. While that’s happening, start your sauce. In a large skillet, melt the butter and EVOO over medium-low heat. Add in the garlic cloves and a pinch of red pepper flakes and cook for 2 minutes until the garlic is aromatic.
Add the cherry tomatoes and corn, reserving 1/4 cup of corn and 1/4 cup of tomatoes for later. Saute in the fat + garlic mixture for 1 minute until the tomatoes have begun to soften. Add in the wine, lemon juice and stock and allow the mixture to simmer over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced by half.
Salt the boiling pasta water generously and add in the pasta. Cook until one minute under al dente (we will finish cooking in the sauce). Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water.
Transfer the pasta into the pan of sauce along with about half of your reserved pasta cooking liquid and the the Parmesan cheese. With the heat on medium, use tongs to toss the pasta continually to coat it with the sauce. Allow the pasta to simmer in the sauce while you stir it for about 1 minute until it’s thick and coated in sauce. Stirring the pasta constantly will agitate the gluten and help to thicken and emulsify the sauce. If the sauce becomes too thick, add in the remaining reserved pasta cooking water to help thin it out.
When the pasta is al dente and your sauce has emulsified + reached your desired thickness, turn off the heat. Stir in the reserved corn and tomatoes. Add kosher salt, to taste.
Serve topped with the ricotta, dollops of pesto (optional) and fresh basil leaves.