Name: Creamy Corn-Miso Pasta
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 12 ounces orecchiette or mezzi rigatoni; ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus salt for cooking pasta; 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces; 3 ears corn, kernels cut from cobs; 2 garlic cloves, minced; ¼ cup white miso; 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup), plus extra for serving; ¼ cup minced chives; 1 teaspoon pepper; ½ teaspoon shichimi togarashi, plus extra for serving

Why This Recipe Works

We wanted to turn sweet summer corn into a rich, savory pasta sauce without relying on cream. Cooking the corn briefly in butter keeps it crisp-tender while infusing the fat with its sweetness. White miso adds deep umami and a bit of saltiness, while starchy pasta cooking water helps emulsify the butter and miso, creating a silky sauce that clings to every piece of pasta. Parmesan reinforces the sauce’s savory character, and fresh chives provide a bright, oniony note. A final sprinkle of shichimi togarashi adds mild heat and citrusy complexity.

Before You Begin

Shichimi togarashi is a Japanese seven-spice mix—look for it in grocery stores and Asian markets. If you can’t find it, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper can replace the mild spice it contributes.

Instructions

Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven over high heat. Add 12 ounces orecchiette and 1 tablespoon kosher salt and cook until al dente. Reserve 1½ cups cooking water, then drain pasta.

Melt 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces, in now-empty pot over medium heat. Add kernels cut from 3 ears corn and 2 minced garlic cloves and cook until fragrant and corn is just tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Add ¼ cup white miso and 1¼ cups reserved cooking water, and stir until miso is dissolved. Add pasta and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens slightly and clings to pasta, 1 to 2 minutes.

Off heat, stir in ½ cup grated Parmesan, ¼ cup minced chives, 1 teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon shichimi togarashi, and ½ teaspoon salt until thoroughly combined, adjusting consistency with remaining reserved cooking water as needed. Serve, sprinkling with extra Parmesan and togarashi.