Corn Cacio e Pepe
A summery twist on the classic Roman pasta dish, combining sweet corn kernels with sharp Pecorino Romano cheese and black pepper. This creamy, pepper-forward pasta dish serves as the perfect comfort food with an unexpected seasonal touch.
Ingredients
- •16 oz pasta
- •1 tsp kosher salt
- •3 cups corn kernels
- •8 oz Pecorino Romano
- •2 tsp black pepper
- •black pepper for serving
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente; add corn about 30 seconds before pasta is done cooking. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid. Return pasta and corn to the pot.
12 min
- 2.
While pasta is cooking, toss 8 oz. cheese and 2 tsp. pepper in a medium bowl to combine. Add 1/3 cup cold water and use a fork to mash mixture into a thick paste (try to get it as smooth as possible). Still mashing, add more water a tablespoonful at a time until paste is about the consistency of cream cheese.
5 min
- 3.
Add cheese mixture to pot with pasta and corn. Using a rubber spatula, toss pasta until coated (the cheese mixture will be too thick to form a sauce at this point). Tossing constantly, add reserved pasta cooking liquid a splash at a time until a glossy sauce forms (it should still be fairly thick).
5 min
- 4.
Transfer pasta to a large bowl and top with more cheese and a few additional grinds of pepper.
2 min