Pasta with Roasted Corn Sauce

Golden kernels of sweet, roasted corn puréed with half and half are the beginnings to this luscious, creamy sauce. Stir into sautéed onions, shallots, and a handful of prosciutto along with peppery notes of Italian parsley and a scoop of rich mascarpone cheese.Toss together with tender ribbons of pasta and red, ripe tomatoes. You’ll find summer in every bite.

Cook Time 1

Course Dinner, Lunch, Lunch and Dinner, Sauces

Servings 6 servings

Equipment

Blender
2 Stockpots

Ingredients

6 ears of fresh corn, still in the husk
1 cup half and half
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-½ cups chopped sweet onion, about 1 small onion
¼ cup chopped shallot, about 1 medium shallot
6 slices of prosciutto, sliced into pieces, about ½ cup
¼ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped, plus extra for garnish
½ cup mascarpone cheese
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
¾ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 cup diced fresh tomatoes
8 to 10 cups chicken stock or salted water*
12 ounces pappardelle pasta, or your favorite
Parmesan cheese, for serving

Instructions

To roast the corn:
Preheat the oven to 350-degrees. With kitchen shears or a sharp knife trim the "silk" off the end of the ears of the corn.
Wash the husks thoroughly. Place the ears of corn directly on the baking rack in the oven. Roast for 30 minutes then allow to cool on a rack.
As soon as the corn is cool enough to handle grab the top of the husks along with the silk, pulling down to remove.
To make the sauce:
Place the corn cobs flat on a sturdy cutting board. Using a sharp knife cut the corn from the cob. Finish by scraping the knife down the edges of the cob capturing any remaining pieces along with “milk” from the corn. You should have 5 cups of corn kernels.
Measure out 1 cup of the corn and set aside. Pour the half and half into a blender. Add the remaining 4 cups of corn and purée, starting on low then raising the speed to medium-high, for 1 to 2 minutes, blending until fairly smooth.
In a large pan or stockpot, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and shallot, sautéing until very tender, about 8 minutes.
Add the prosciutto and 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt, pepper and sauté for an additional 2 minutes.
Toss in the chopped parsley, the puréed corn, the remaining cup of corn kernel, and the mascarpone cheese, stirring to combine.
To finish the dish:
In a separate stockpot bring the chicken stock* and the remaining teaspoon of kosher to a boil. Add the pasta stirring frequently until just tender, about 8 minutes. Add additional liquid if needed to just cover the pasta.
Using tongs or a slotted spoon transfer the pasta to a large bowl, reserving the cooking liquid. Pour in one cup of the cooking stock to the sauce to thin slightly.
Ladle the sauce over the pasta, tossing to coat. Add the chopped tomatoes and serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and a pinch or two of chopped parsley.

Notes

*Cooking pasta in stock adds an additional layer of flavor to the dish. If you cook the pasta in water, add about 2 tablespoons salt instead of the 1 teaspoon added to the stock.