Sweet Corn & Basil Pappardelle for Peak Summer Nights
If ever there was a summer pasta recipe that let the flavors of the season shine, this pappardelle with corn, blistered tomatoes, and basil cream sauce is it! With just 10 ingredients, it’s a simple, satisfying vegetarian meal that’s always a hit with both kids and adults.
This vibrant summer pasta features a silky basil cream sauce made from sautéed fresh corn, red onion, and a touch of mascarpone, all blended with loads of fresh basil until luxuriously smooth (with no added heavy cream!). It’s tossed with wide pappardelle noodles, juicy blistered tomatoes, and finished with plenty of Parmigiano Reggiano and cracked black pepper.
Be sure to check out more of our restaurant-worthy pasta dishes, like pillowy homemade ricotta gnocchi with fresh corn and tomatoes or this creamy orzo pasta with pan-seared scallops and corn.
Noodle Shape Matters!
Cream-based sauces are a perfect match for pappardelle’s wide, sturdy noodles — they cling to every ribbon, creating a rich, luxurious bite in every forkful. They’re also a match made in heaven with meaty bolognese sauce, so keep that in mind for the future as well. 😉
How To Make The Cream Sauce
Full instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
The natural starches in the corn make this sauce incredibly creamy!
The bursting open of the tomatoes is a good thing! All those naturally sweet tomato juices will get stirred into the finished dish.
Give the pasta ingredients a really good toss, then divide between bowls. You cannot begin to imagine how delicious this is! As with all pasta recipes, you’ll want to drizzle it with a high-quality extra virgin olive oil, then sprinkle with flaky sea salt. (This is key for restaurant-worthy pasta at home!)
Why It’s Important To Toss The Pasta With Sauce Before Serving
This step is key! I know from working in restaurant kitchens that pasta is always finished in the pan with the sauce — never just mixed in a bowl. Warming the pasta and sauce together helps the sauce cling to the noodles and coat them evenly. Adding a splash of reserved pasta water also emulsifies the sauce, making it silky, thick, and glossy. It’s a small detail that makes a big difference — don’t skip it!
What To Serve With This Pappardelle Pasta
I like to serve this summer pasta with a light green salad (something that has an oil-based salad dressing, nothing creamy). When I don’t want a traditional salad, something like a tomato and avocado salad is really nice on the side.
This pappardelle pasta with basil cream sauce is the kind of simple, seasonal dish that feels effortlessly elegant — perfect for summer dinners or casual entertaining. Once you try it, you’ll be finding any excuse to make it again and again. If you give it a try, please let us know by leaving a review and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below!
Have leftover tomatoes lying around? Check out these restaurant-worthy summer recipes featuring fresh tomatoes for more dinner ideas!
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Pappardelle Pasta with Corn & Basil Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil divided, plus more for serving
- 2 ears of corn shucked and kernels removed
- ¼ cup water
- ⅓ cup mascarpone cheese
- ½ cup packed basil plus more for garnish
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- ½ medium red onion thinly sliced
- 1 (8.8 oz) bag pappardelle pasta
- ¼ cup Parmigiano Reggiano grated, plus more for serving
- Kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- Flaky sea salt for serving
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil. Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Season generously with Kosher salt (a good 2 Tbsp).
- Add pasta. Place pasta in the water, then use tongs or a spatula to break up the nests a bit. Cook for 9 minutes, until al dente.
- Reserve cooking liquid. Before draining, reserve about ½ cup cooking liquid. Drain the pasta, then set aside.
- Sauté the onion and corn. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add red onion, then sauté until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add corn kernels, then season with 1 tsp Kosher salt and ¼ tsp black pepper. Sauté 3 minutes more.
- Purée into a sauce. Transfer the corn kernels and red onion to a blender (or food processor fitted with blade attachment), reserving ¼ cup of corn — set this aside. Add ⅓ cup mascarpone cheese and ½ cup packed basil. Blend until very smooth, about 20-30 seconds. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Blister the tomatoes. Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet (can use the same one as before!) over high heat. Add cherry tomatoes, season with ½ tsp Kosher salt, then cook until blistered, about 6-8 minutes, stirring often.
- Toss together. Combine cooked pasta, blistered tomatoes, basil cream sauce, reserved corn kernels, and ¼ cup Parmigiano Reggiano in the large skillet over medium heat. Toss to thoroughly combine, the add ¼ cup of reserved pasta cooking water to thin out. Add more as needed. Give one final toss, then divide between bowls.
- To serve: drizzle each serving with a little extra virgin olive oil, then add extra Parmesan, thinly sliced basil (if desired), and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Serve with a generous pinch of flaky sea salt.
Notes
- Finish the pasta in a skillet over medium heat, tossing to coat — this helps the sauce cling perfectly to every strand.
- To reheat pasta: place pasta in a skillet, then heat with a few tablespoons of water over medium heat. Toss until heated through, then serve with parmesan, basil, and black pepper.
This might be my new favorite summer meal! It came together super fast and wasn’t hard at all, and we LOVED it.
Morgan, I am so thrilled to hear this!! Isn’t that corn sauce AMAZING?! Just a great summer dish!! xo, Ari
Can we use sweet potatoes?
In place of what?
LOVE this recipe! Is it possible to freeze the sauce (without the tomatoes).
Oh boy, the Hubby went back for thirds! Wish I had cut the tomatoes in half, or maybe mine were too big. No matter, this was a sweet and summery, especially with my fresh own basil.
Maybe adding shrimp next time, because I’ll surely make this again.
Shrimp sounds like a fantastic addition! And yes, my hubby always goes back for seconds and thirds of this one lol. And he doesn’t even love cooked corn most of the time (he’s crazy, I know!). Glad you both enjoyed!! xo, Ari
Have made this multiple times! The perfect summer pasta dish
Truly the best taste of summer! So glad you enjoyed! xo, Ari
This looks so good! What a great recipe for summertime!
Thank you! It tastes like summer!! xo, Ari
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
Hi Vanessa! This pasta will keep for up to 5 days in a fridge. Enjoy! xo, Ari
LOVE this recipe! Is it possible to freeze the sauce (without the tomatoes).
Hi Roxane! I love it too — soo summery and fresh! You can definitely freeze the sauce, but it may not be as thick and creamy when you go to thaw it and reheat it. You can bring it back to life with a splash of heavy cream, a bit more mascarpone cheese, or some butter. Thanks for the review! xo, Ari
If my family had to choose one pasta to eat every day of summer, they would choose this one. And I can almost guarantee that they wouldn’t tire of it by the end of the season either. My children are particular about their food (read: picky 😉 ) and often prefer meals that are (sorry, kids) bland. But this? THIS?! It’s bursting with flavor and is the very essence of what summer is. All fresh vegetables and herbs from the garden, homemade pasta, and laughter+smiles from my family while we enjoy this on our deck overlooking rolling hills on a warm summer night. It’s perfect. Absolutely perfect. Thanks for sharing your recipes and talent! There’s not a single meal we’ve made throughout the years that we haven’t loved (the picky eaters in my house agree!).
I love to hear this, Annika!! Oh man, not even all of -my- kids will eat this pasta because of all the green stuff lol. Your kids are amazing — you should be proud!! Thanks for the positive feedback! xo, Ari
This was so good and easy to put together! Great way to use plentiful summer produce
Love that basil cream sauce and all the fresh corn. Thank you, Erica! xo, Ari
Made this last night and it was a winner. My father–visiting from out of town–was skeptical of pureed corn (“sounds too much like ‘creamed corn,'” he said), but was wooed in the end. Great recipe; thanks. We may have to double the tomatoes next time because they were so good.
Love to hear this, Stacy! It’s definitely got a much smoother texture than creamed corn — I’m glad we could turn your dad into a believer! xo, Ari
Hi there! I had a hard time blending the sauce – the cheese, corn, onions and basil just formed a sort of clump and it took a lot of effort (and adding a little milk) to get it creamy enough to add to the noodles. Am I missing something? Thanks!
Hi Katie! The starch content in corn can vary, along with the size of the cob, etc. all of which can impact how thick the sauce becomes. A good option is to add water or stock as needed to help thin it out to your desired consistency. I hope you enjoyed it! xo, Ari
Can’t wait to make this nice summer pasta. Going to be away for a short vacay. Then, it time for the yummy pastas and great salads.
Enjoy it and be sure to report back! xo, Ari
This looks so good! What a great combination of flavors!
It is a true taste of summer! Hope you love it! xo, Ari
This pasta beautifully highlights peak summer flavors. I will be making the is for years to come. Yum!
Love love love to hear this!! Thanks, Andrea! xo, Ari
WOW!
Ingredients – very affordable! Personally the only thing I had to specifically buy was the pasta and the mascarpone cheese. I know not everybody has certain vegetables, herbs and spices but for me, this recipe calls for ingredients that I always have on hand ( in the summer).
TIP: Prep all of your ingredients before you start to cook ( Mies en plas ). It will make your life so much easier!
Cooking – These cooking instructions worked out perfectly and were relatively simple. I would not change the process at all next time I make this dish!
Adjustments – when the time comes to blister the tomatoes, I sauteed chopped shallot and garlic ( force of habit with every recipe I make ). I also toasted some red pepper flakes because we love spice in my house. I think it added a great depth of flavor to the dish. I also made a basil oil to drizzle on top of the dish and loved it!!
Protein – I had cheddar jalapeño brats from the night before and had to use. THEY WERE AMAZING WITH THIS. The pasta itself is a relatively lighter pasta dish, so I think the spicy sausage paired very well with this.
I might have to make this a summer weekly dish because it comes together SO fast for how “fancy” it sounds. Also – picky eater approved.
Thank you for sharing 🙂
Wow, thank you so much for the glowing review and feedback, Isabelle! It’s certainly one of my favorites too! Yum! Cheers, Ari
This summer dish came together beautifully! The corn and basil flavors were excellent. Use corn on cob instead of canned or frozen. We will enjoy the leftovers!
The perfect summer pasta!! I love that cream sauce so much. Thanks, Craig! Cheers, Ari
I haven’t attempted to make this yet, but it looks amazing. What are your suggestions for making this dairy free?
Hi Brittany! I’d recommend substituting the mascarpone cheese with your favorite dairy-free substitute — I’m not familiar with things like dairy-free sour cream or yogurt since I don’t have a restriction, but I’m guessing you’ve got products you already know and love. And then the same with the Parmesan cheese — there seem to be so many more dairy-free cheese alternatives on the market, so just pick the one you love most! The sauce is naturally very creamy from the starch in the corn, so I’m confident it’ll taste great. Enjoy and please report back! Cheers, Ari