Growing up I was always a pasta with red sauce kind of girl. But since I started developing recipes I’ve discovered that there are SO MANY other delicious ways to dress a plate of pasta. Pretty much any veggie I have on hand, I can come up with a pasta pairing for. My basic go-to formula for creating a veggie-centric pasta dish is to pair it up with a creamy dairy-free sauce. Because creamy sauce is always a win. Sometimes I use cashews for the base, in dishes like my vegan spinach pasta. But sometimes I like something a little lighter and brighter, so I use coconut milk, like I did for my kale pasta and mushroom pasta. This vegan corn pasta is the perfect example of how to use coconut milk in pasta sauce. It includes some white wine, shallots and garlic for flavor, and a bit of flour as thickener. The light, creamy sauce is the perfect complement to sweet summer corn kernels and fresh basil. And the dish comes together in a cinch!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Dried pasta shells. You can substitute just about any pasta shape here. I love shells because the corn kernels get nestled into their pockets, but penne, spaghetti, or even capellini would all work well. Olive oil. Use another high-heat oil if you must, but olive will give your sauce the best flavor. Shallot. Garlic. Flour. I’ve only tested the recipe with basic all-purpose white flour, but I think other varieties like whole wheat flour or gluten-free flour blends would work just fine. We’re just using it as a thickener, so we don’t need to be too fussy. Dry white wine. I used a chardonnay, but other dry varieties like pino grigo or sauvignon blanc will work just fine. Not all wine is vegan, so make sure to search for the variety and brand you use in Barnivore before buying. The wine adds a lot of flavor, but it can be omitted if you prefer to cook without alcohol. Coconut milk. The recipe calls for canned, full-fat coconut milk. Light coconut milk may work as a substitute, but the sauce won’t be nearly as rich and creamy. Corn. I created this recipe with fresh, sweet summer corn in mind, and that’s what works best. But frozen corn can be used if fresh corn isn’t available or you want to make the dish when it’s not in season. Thaw it out first and only simmer it briefly in the sauce, since frozen corn is already partially cooked. Red pepper flakes. These will add a touch of heat to the dish. Leave them out if that’s not for you. Salt & pepper. Fresh basil.
How It’s Made
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe! The first thing you’ll need to do is cut your corn from the cob. Stand an ear of corn upright in a large bowl, then run a chef’s knife down the cob to cut off the kennels. Be careful not to slip. Give your creamy corn pasta a taste-test. Add more salt or red pepper flakes, some black pepper, or adjust any seasonings as you see fit. Optionally top your pasta with some store-bought or homemade vegan Parmesan cheese. Dig in!
Meal-Prep Tips
The shallot can be chopped in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. The corn can be cut from the cob a day or two in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover vegan corn pasta will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 days, or in the freezer for about 3 months.
More Vegan Corn Recipes
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