Burst Cherry Tomato Pasta with Charred Corn
Cherry tomatoes hit the skillet until they burst and caramelize into a sauce that’s silky but not heavy—plus, it’s on the table in under 30 minutes. Toss in corn (fresh off the cob or straight from the freezer) for a sweet little crunch for a weeknight pasta that feels way fancier than the effort it takes.
Ingredients
- ½ lb pasta shells preferred or long strand like spaghetti; approx 8 oz.
- 2 ears corn kernels removed from cob; about 1 ½ cup
- 2 T unsalted butter
- 1 tsp salt plus a bit more to season corn
- ½ tsp black pepper plus a bit more to season corn
- 1 T olive oil
- ½ cup onions chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pint tomatoes or 2 cups
- ½ cup table cream or light cream
- 2 T fresh basil leaves minced
- 1 T fresh thyme leaves minced
- fresh grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In at least a 4qt saucepan, cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente or according to package direction. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water. Drain the pasta and set aside.½ lb pasta
- Cut corn away from cob to yield approximately 1 ½ cup. Sweet frozen corn can also be used.2 ears corn
- Melt butter in a large skillet with sides over medium heat. Add corn and a sprinkle of salt and pepper (reserve the rest of the seasoning for the tomatoes). Saute until golden for about 4 minutes. Remove corn from pan to a plate or bowl and set aside.1 tsp salt, 2 T unsalted butter, ½ tsp black pepper
- Add olive oil to the same pan and saute onions for about 3 minutes until translucent. Stir in garlic and toss until you can smell it, about 30 seconds.1 T olive oil, ½ cup onions, 2 cloves garlic
- Toss tomatoes in with onions and garlic and add salt and pepper.1 pint tomatoes
- Lower the heat to medium and cover the pan. Cook until the tomatoes pop and start to blister, checking every so often.
- Add some of the reserved pasta water (start with ½ cup to the tomatoes) and cook until slightly thickened. Pour in cream and toss with hot pasta. Add more pasta water as needed.½ cup table cream or light cream
- Toss in the fresh herbs and sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese.2 T fresh basil leaves, 1 T fresh thyme leaves
