Zucchini Corn Pasta
I love cooking things that remind me of my mom. Every summer during my childhood we always had an abundant surplus of zucchini that would end up in what seemed like every meal we ate. There was always too much to eat on our own, which led to sharing arm-sized zucchini with neighbors and baking as much as possible into loaves of my mom’s famous zucchini bread (which even now feels too sacred to replicate). When we were extra lucky, it would wind up in a summery squash and corn pasta.
Although I’m sure the recipe originally came from Food Network, my mom made it so frequently that I’m officially claiming it as hers. It’s a dish that feels bright, hopeful, and homey all at the same time. It’s a dish that feels just like mom.
Recently, I decided I was ambitious—or maybe just desperate—enough to give it my own take. The zucchini, squash, and corn cook down into sweet morsels, beans add extra heartiness, and a big dollop of ricotta slowly melts into the warm pasta. While the zucchini may not have come straight from the garden, it feels almost as comforting as it did in my childhood home—or at least enough that I can almost hear the rustling of the poplars outside.
Zucchini Corn Pasta
With tender half-moons of zucchini and squash, morsels of sweet corn, and a dollop of ricotta, this pasta is a celebration of summer and the comfort of home.
Serves: 6 | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
1 pound rigatoni or paccheri
2 fresh corn on the cob, or 1 ½ cups frozen corn
2 medium zucchini
1 medium yellow squash
1 clove garlic
1 shallot
4 tablespoons butter
1 15.5-ounce can cannellini beans
Ricotta, cracked black pepper, and basil, for serving
Instructions
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. While waiting for the water to boil, slice the kernels off 2 fresh corn on the cob and slice 2 medium zucchini and 1 medium yellow squash into half moons about ¼-inch thick. Thinly slice 1 garlic clove and 1 shallot, then drain and rinse 1 15.5-ounce can cannelini beans. Once the water is boiling, cook 1 pound rigatoni or paccheri according to package directions until al-dente.
Meanwhile, add 4 tablespoons butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add the prepared corn, zucchini, yellow squash, garlic clove, and shallot to the pan and saute until tender—about 5-7 minutes.
Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain the pasta and add directly to the large skillet. Add ½ cup reserved pasta water and toss the pasta with the veggies until a smooth, glossy sauce forms. If the sauce is too tight, continue adding more pasta water a few tablespoons at a time. Taste the pasta and adjust for salt.
Serve immediately with large dollops of ricotta, freshly cracked black pepper, and torn basil.
