With abundant beautiful summer corn, let me introduce this creamy corn pasta recipe. Fresh corn on the cob is the base of the delicious pasta sauce with two simple ingredients. You will love this fresh summer pasta dish!

Instead of making a typical vegan creamy pasta sauce, the magical ingredient for this creamy corn pasta salad is corn! I love summer corn on the cob, and right now, corn is practically free! So, I used corn for a simple, delicious pasta sauce with two simple ingredients. Then, I reserve some corn to add to the dish!
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Creamy Corn Sauce For Pasta Ingredients
- Corn on the Cob: I grilled the corn on the cob, but it can also be boiled or microwaved.
- Orecchiette Pasta: The cup-like structure of orecchiette allows sauce and peas to nestle inside and cling to the pasta, so choosing something that will act similarly is ideal.
- Mushrooms: I love sauteed mushrooms for the texture and meatiness the recipe.
- Shallot: Shallots have a flavor that some people describe as onion with a hint of garlic on the finish. They are peppery like raw red onion but get sweet when cooked. Their flavor is a bit more delicate than that of onions.
- Peas: I used frozen peas and cooked them with the pasta in the last few minutes.
- Basil: I prefer using fresh basil. If using dry basil, use half the amount specified in the recipe. Dry herbs are much more potent in flavor.
- Pepper: I used fresh ground pepper.
- Vegan Parmesan Cheese (Optional): I make homemade vegan parmesan cheese for a garnish for this creamy corn pasta recipe.
Creamy Corn Pasta Sauce Ingredient Substitutions
- Use canned or frozen cooked corn instead of fresh corn.
- Choose any type of pasta.
- Substitute mushrooms with zucchini or summer squash if you don't like mushrooms.
- Red onion substitutes shallots in the recipe.
- Butter beans or black-eyed peas substitute peas in recipe .
- Instead of basil, try parsley.
- Skip the vegan parmesan cheese, or purchase your favorite store-bought vegan parmesan cheese.
How to Make Creamy Corn Pasta Recipe
- Begin by shucking the corn, and preheating a grill to 400 degrees.
- Place the corn on the cob directly on the grill grate.
- Grill the corn for 15 minutes, rotating the corn every 5 minutes with the grill cover closed.
- If you don't own a grill, don't despair; boil fresh corn for 5 minutes in a pot of boiling water with a bit of salt.
- Although I prefer the charred, grilled flavor, frozen and canned corn also works.
- Once the corn cools, cut the corn from the cobs. I like using a mandoline to remove corn from the cobs quickly.
- In a skillet, over medium heat, saute the shallot and mushrooms.
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
- While the pasta cooks, add 2 cups of corn to a blender cup.
- Remove 1 cup of pasta water from the pot, and add it to the blender cup.
- Blend the sauce until smooth.
- Set it aside.
- Add the frozen peas to the cooking pasta three minutes before the pasta is done.
- Using a colander, drain the pasta and cooked peas.
- Transfer the cooked pasta and peas pack into the pan.
- Add the sauteed shallots and mushrooms to the pasta and peas.
- Fold the reserved corn into the pasta mixture.
- Pour the corn sauce into the pan, and toss into the pasta and vegetables.
- Serve with cut basil, fresh ground pepper, and vegan parmesan cheese (optional).
More Ways to Use Summer Corn
If you love summer corn, include it in your salads, such as Sweet Coleslaw Recipe, Mexican Street Corn Salad Recipe, or Charred Corn Salad.
As an appetizer, serve some Easy Mexican Street Corn Dip or Corn Salsa!
Or try our Vegan Corn Chowder for a thick and creamy comfort meal.
Recipe FAQs
Botanically speaking, corn is a fruit. It is produced from the flower or the ovary of the corn plant. Specifically, corn is classified as a caryopsis, a one-seeded fruit where the seed pod and the flesh are tightly joined together.
Corn is a high-energy carbohydrate.
Previous studies have shown that sweet corn contains various nutrients and phytochemicals, such as carotenoids, which are anti-inflammatory.
Tips
- Choose any pasta. I like the whole-grain orecchiette pasta because the peas fall into the little holes in the pasta.
- Add 1 Tablespoon of nutritional yeast to the sauce for a cheesier flavor.
- If using frozen corn, it must be cooked. However, the reserved one cup of corn can be cooked with peas. But the remaining 3 cups of the sauce need to be cooked before making the sauce.
- Grilling the corn gives it a smoky flavor. To mimic that flavor, use canned or frozen corn and add a teaspoon of liquid smoke (I like the hickory-flavored liquid smoke). Or add a little smoked paprika instead.
- The pasta water is the second and only other ingredient for the pasta sauce.
For a fresh summer treat, try this creamy corn pasta recipe. This is such an easy recipe, and it's delicious.
Suggested Vegan Recipes to Try This Summer!
If you love this creamy corn pasta recipe, give us a 5-star review and comment below. We would love to hear from you!
📖 Recipe
Creamy Corn Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 Ears Corn on the Cob ( 2 cups reserved for the pasta sauce) or 3 cups canned or cooked frozen corn
- 12 ounces Whole Grain Orecchiette Pasta or pasta of choice
- 1 cup Frozen peas
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 Shallot minced
- 8 ounces Mushrooms sliced
- ½ cup Fresh basil chopped
- ¼ cup Vegan parmesan cheese Optional)
- Fresh ground pepper
Corn Pasta Sauce
- 2 cups Corn
- 1 cup Pasta water
Instructions
- Begin by shucking the corn and preheating a grill to 400 degrees.
- Place the corn on the cob directly on the grill grate.
- Grill the corn for 15 minutes, rotating the corn every 5 minutes with the grill cover closed.
- If you don't own a grill, don't despair; boil fresh corn for 5 minutes in a pot of boiling water with a bit of salt.
- Although I prefer the charred, grilled flavor, frozen and canned corn also works.
- Once the corn cools, cut the corn from the cobs. I like using a mandoline to remove corn from the cobs quickly.
- In a skillet, over medium heat, saute the shallot and mushrooms.
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. While the pasta cooks, add 2 cups of corn to a blender cup.
- Remove 1 cup of pasta water from the pot, and add it to the blender cup. Blend the sauce until smooth.
- Blend the sauce until smooth.
- Set it aside.
- Add the frozen peas to the cooking pasta three minutes before the pasta is done. Using a colander, drain the pasta and cooked peas.
- Transfer the cooked pasta and peas pack into the pan. Add the sauteed shallots and mushrooms to the pasta and peas.
- Add the sauteed shallots and mushrooms to the pasta and peas.
- Fold the reserved corn into the pasta mixture
- Pour the corn sauce into the pan, and toss into the pasta and vegetables.
- Serve with cut basil, fresh ground pepper, and vegan parmesan cheese.
Video
Notes
- Choose any pasta. I like the whole-grain orecchiette pasta because the peas fall into the little holes in the pasta.
- Add 1 Tablespoon of nutritional yeast to the sauce for a cheesier flavor.
- f using frozen corn, it must be cooked. However, the reserved one cup of corn can be cooked with peas. But the remaining 3 cups of the sauce need to be cooked before making the sauce.
- Grilling the corn gives it a smoky flavor. To mimic that flavor, use canned or frozen corn and add a teaspoon of liquid smoke (I like the hickory-flavored liquid smoke). Or add a little smoked paprika instead.
- The pasta water is the second and only other ingredient for the pasta sauce.
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Kathy Carmichael
Delicious!
Lissette
I was so happy to find a recipe that has a creamy base without using dairy or nuts/seeds! So creative! This recipe is delicious and easy!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Lissette; thank you so much for your feedback. I'm so glad you liked it. I also used corn as a base for dressing which turned out good. You might like it. https://www.kathysvegankitchen.com/sweet-coleslaw-recipe/
Teresa Sparling
This was so easy! I used frozen corn. The best part is that it's "creamy", just from blending some corn and the pasta water and adding it to the dish. So easy! All three of us liked this enormously.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Teresa, I'm so happy you liked the creamy corn pasta! I made coleslaw with a corn dressing, which gave me the idea. Thanks for the feedback.
Sandra
There are no peas on the ingredient list, but they are mentioned in the directions.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Sandra, sorry. 1 cup of frozen peas. Thanks for letting me know. I will fix it.