Name: Quick Creamy Corn Bucatini with Ricotta and Basil
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 4 ears corn , kernels cut from cobs (about 4 cups); 1 cup whole milk; 1 pound bucatini; ¼ teaspoon table salt , plus salt for cooking pasta; ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes; 6 ounces (¾ cup) whole-milk ricotta cheese; ¼ cup fresh basil leaf , torn

Why This Recipe Works

When fresh corn is plentiful and perfect, transform it into a creamy, silky sauce. Topped with dollops of ricotta cheese and fresh basil leaves, this feels like the embodiment of summer—but you'll crave it year-round. Bringing corn kernels and milk to a simmer activates the natural cornstarch in the kernels. Heating also intensifies the characteristic aroma of the corn, which is largely due to a compound that also happens to be prominent in the aroma of milk. Blending the mixture and then straining it results in a smooth, intensely sweet puree. Parcook the bucatini in boiling water and then finish it to al dente perfection right in the puree, adding some of the starchy cooking water to thicken the sauce to a velvety texture. A touch of red pepper flakes adds a subtle kick.

Before You Begin

You can dig into this satisfying dish year-round by substituting 18 ounces frozen corn for fresh. You can also use spaghetti in place of bucatini.

Instructions

Bring corn and milk to simmer in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Carefully transfer corn and milk to blender and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Process until smooth, about 3 minutes, scraping down sides of blender jar as needed. Strain corn mixture through fine-mesh strainer into now-empty skillet, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible.

Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until pasta is flexible but still firm, about 5 minutes. Reserve 2 cups cooking water, then drain pasta.

Stir pasta, 1½ cups reserved cooking water, salt, and pepper flakes into corn mixture in skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until pasta is al dente and well coated with sauce, 2 to 4 minutes. Adjust consistency with remaining reserved cooking water as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer pasta to serving bowl, dollop with ricotta, and sprinkle with basil. Serve immediately.