This simple and fresh pasta dish has farfalle tossed with an easy sauce made with corn, shallots, garlic, wine, thyme, and cream. Use summer corn cut right off the cob for the freshest flavor, but you can substitute frozen corn to make this dish a year-round option. Finish it with Parmesan cheese and fresh chives, and serve some Roasted Broccoli on the side.
What to buy: To get 2 cups of kernels, you’ll need about 3 ears of fresh corn or about 10 ounces of frozen corn.
INGREDIENTS
1 pound short pasta, such as farfalle
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots (from about 2 medium shallots)
6 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup dry white wine
4 large thyme sprigs
2 cups corn kernels (no need to thaw if frozen)
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 ounce), plus more for serving
1/4 cup finely chopped chives (from about 1 1/2 bunches)
INSTRUCTIONS
Set a colander in the sink. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions or until al dente. Meanwhile, start the sauce.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the shallots and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and thyme sprigs, bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the wine has reduced by about three-quarters, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside.
When the pasta is ready, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, drain, and return the pasta to the pot; set aside.
To finish the sauce, return the frying pan to medium-high heat, add the corn, cream, and measured salt and pepper, stir to combine, and bring to a simmer.
Place the reserved pot of pasta over low heat and pour in the cream-corn mixture. Add the measured cheese, chives, and half of the reserved pasta water and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cheese has melted and the sauce has thickened slightly (it’ll be loose but will thicken more as it sits), adding more pasta water as needed. Taste, season with additional salt and pepper as desired, and serve immediately with the extra Parmesan on the side.
