This creamy Sweet Corn Pasta highlights peak summer corn in a bright, dairy-free sauce that’s quick to make and family friendly. Depending on the pasta you choose, the dish can be gluten free. Ready in about 30 minutes, it’s a satisfying meatless meal perfect for warm-weather dinners.
I received a complimentary copy of Love & Lemons Every Day for review. I only recommend products I use and enjoy. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Avery Books for the gift.
Below is a review of Jeanine Donofrio’s cookbook Love & Lemons Every Day — a follow-up to her first Love & Lemons cookbook — along with the recipe for her Creamy Sweet Corn Pasta. I adapted the original pappardelle suggestion and used rotini, but any pasta you prefer will work.
Love & Lemons Every Day Cookbook
Jeanine’s first cookbook was organized by ingredient, which made it easy to plan meals around seasonal produce. This second book uses a more traditional structure by course while keeping the same focus: bright, vegetable-forward recipes that celebrate seasonal fruits and vegetables.
The collection is vegetarian and largely vegan, with many recipes that can be made vegan using the provided substitutions. Several dishes are naturally gluten free or can be adapted by swapping pasta or grains. The book balances simple weeknight meals with creative dishes for entertaining, showing that plant-based food can be flavorful and accessible to everyone, not only those who follow a specific diet.
Take a Look Inside
The book is arranged into ten recipe chapters that cover breakfast, snacks and starters, soups, salads, mains, sides, desserts, drinks, homemade pantry staples, and essential sauces. Examples include breakfast polenta bowls, carrot ginger gyoza, coconut sweet potato soup, heirloom tomato fattoush, a cozy mushroom and white bean potpie, and the Creamy Sweet Corn Pasta featured here. The recipes are approachable, seasonal, and aimed at making vegetables the star of the plate.
Beyond recipes, the book includes practical guidance: what produce is in season and how to season it, tips for adjusting flavors when a dish needs brightening or taming, and suggestions for using often-discarded parts of vegetables like beet greens or broccoli stems. Jeanine’s recipes often use every bit of an ingredient to deepen flavor; in the corn pasta recipe, for example, the milky liquid scraped from the cobs becomes part of the sauce.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you try it, please leave feedback. For more family-friendly meatless recipes, see The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook.
Below is the recipe adapted for clarity and ease of use.
Creamy Sweet Corn Pasta
Jeanine writes: “Fresh, juicy sweet corn and the milky liquid from the cobs become a naturally creamy sauce without cream. Cashews add richness, lemon brightens the dish, and smoked paprika gives it a hint of smokiness.” This adaptation keeps the same balance of sweet, tangy, and savory for a comforting summer pasta.
Permission to reprint by Jeanine Donofrio and Avery Books.
Course: Entrées, Pasta | Cuisine: American | Diet: Vegan
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 | Calories: 551 kcal (estimate)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
- 5 ears corn, kernels cut from cobs (about 4 cups), divided
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1/4 cup water, plus more if needed
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
- 12 ounces pappardelle or pasta of choice
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 3 packed cups fresh spinach
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup sliced fresh basil, for serving (optional)
- Microgreens, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Slice the kernels off the corn cobs. Use the back of a chef’s knife to scrape the milky liquid remaining on each cob and reserve it.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add 1½ cups of corn kernels and the crushed garlic; cook until the corn is tender, about 3 more minutes.
- Transfer the cooked onion, corn, and garlic to a blender. Add the scraped corn liquid, cashews, 1/4 cup water, lemon juice, smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Blend until smooth, adding additional water as needed to reach a pourable, creamy consistency. Set the sauce aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the hot pasta water, then drain the pasta.
- Wipe the skillet clean and heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the remaining 2½ cups of corn, the scallions, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn is tender, about 3 minutes.
- Add the spinach, hot pasta, the blended corn-cashew sauce, and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a silky sauce. Toss until the spinach wilts and the pasta is evenly coated. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve immediately topped with sliced basil and microgreens if desired.
Notes
Use gluten-free pasta to make this recipe gluten free. The milky liquid scraped from the cobs adds natural sweetness and depth; don’t skip it.
Nutrition (per serving, estimate)
Calories: 551 kcal | Carbohydrates: 93 g | Protein: 17 g | Fat: 15 g | Fiber: 8 g | Sugar: 8 g
Nutrition values are estimates calculated with online tools. Verify with your own data if needed.