Creamy Corn Pasta (Vegan)

A light grey coup plate filled with cavatappi pasta coated in a creamy sauce studded with corn kernels and basil.

This creamy corn pasta with basil and lemon comes together in just 20 minutes. The flavorful dairy-free corn sauce is made from blending up buttery corn with aromatics. Perfect for a last minute, yet impressive vegan meal worth sharing with company.

4.89 from 9 votes

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Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Corn Sauce, Pasta with Corn, Vegan Creamy Pasta

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 20

Servings: 6

Calories: 403kcal

Author: Bronwyn

Ingredients

12 oz dry pasta
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
¼-½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
½ cup dry white wine (or vegetable broth)
4 cups corn kernels, divided (See Notes for options)
2 tbsp nutritional yeast (or vegan Parmesan, may use more to taste)
4 tbsp vegan butter
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil, julienned
salt and pepper, to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare the pasta according to package directions. Reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water before straining the cooked pasta.
In a medium-sized saucepan or skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes or until softened. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes (if using), and sauté another minute. Pour in the white wine. When it comes to a simmer, add in 2 cups (350 g) of the corn kernels. Reduce the heat and simmer for a minute or two, until the corn is heated through. Remove from heat, and pour in the lemon juice and nutritional yeast. Add the corn mixture to a blender. Blend on high until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. This may take a few minutes.
In the same skillet you used to cook the first half of the corn, heat the butter over medium. Once melted and hot, add the remaining 2 cups (350 g) of corn kernels. Sauté for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest.
Combine the creamed corn sauce with the drained, cooked pasta. Stir in the buttery corn kernels and basil. Add a splash of the reserved pasta water if the sauce needs to be thinned, or an extra squeeze of lemon juice to taste. (The sauce will thicken as it cools.) Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Info:

Notes:

Corn Options: I used frozen corn. If you only have fresh corn on the cob or canned corn, those both work very well in this recipe, too. This summery pasta dish uses 4 cups of corn kernels in total, which is about 8 ears of corn. Half of the corn is blended up to create the sauce, and the remaining corn kernels are left whole and tossed in with the pasta.

Using fresh corn on the cob? Try boiling the corn in the water you’ll be cooking the pasta in which will infuse the noodles with extra corn flavor!

Making this during barbeque season? If you’d like to add a smoky flavor to the pasta (which is so good!), grill fresh corn on the cob to toss in with creamy corn sauce and noodles. Check out this article on how to grill corn.

Optional Add-Ins: This sweet corn pasta is adaptable - add in more of your favorite summer veggies! Sautéed zucchini half moons, halved fresh cherry tomatoes, asparagus, and snap peas are tasty and vibrant additions.

Did you make this recipe?Tag @crumbs.and.caramel on Instagram!