Pasta With Corn, Zucchini And Tomatoes

Pasta With Corn, Zucchini And Tomatoes
Craig Lee for The New York Times
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(1,737)
Notes
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The two things I love most about this dish of summer vegetables and pasta are the crunch of the corn against the tenderness of the pasta and the fact that I cannot seem to settle on a combination of flavorings that I think is best. Chile powder, a little bit of cayenne, perhaps some cilantro are all excellent choices. But with pasta this seems too heretical even for a culinary atheist like me, so I usually go in a tamer direction: a suspicion of garlic with some fresh tarragon or basil. It is flexible not only in its flavorings but in its ingredients. You can use onions, garlic or shallots, singly or in combination; add string beans (or even fresh limas) to the mix; substitute eggplant for the zucchini. Think of it as a delicious mélange of whatever is on hand.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • Salt and pepper
  • 3tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or 2 tablespoons oil and 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1cup corn kernels (from 2 or 3 ears)
  • 1cup diced zucchini or summer squash (from 2 or 3 small vegetables)
  • 1medium onion or 3 or 4 shallots, diced
  • ¼teaspoon minced garlic, optional
  • 1 or 2sprigs tarragon
  • 4plum or 2 large tomatoes, diced
  • 1pound cut pasta, like penne
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

609 calories; 16 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 101 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 18 grams protein; 662 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Set a large pot of water to boil and salt it. Put 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add corn. Cook, stirring occasionally, until corn begins to brown. Add zucchini and some salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini begins to brown.

  2. Step 2

    Add onion or shallots and garlic if you are using it. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add tarragon and cook for 30 seconds, then tomatoes. Put pasta in boiling water and cook until tender but not mushy, 10 to 15 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    While pasta cooks continue to cook sauce, reducing heat when tomatoes begin to break down. If sauce dries out (with plum tomatoes, this is likely), add some pasta cooking water, about ½ cup at a time. When pasta is done, drain it, toss with sauce and remaining oil or butter, and serve immediately.

Ratings

5 out of 5
1,737 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

This was DELICIOUS! I did make some changes tho. First and foremost I used a HALF a pound of pasta. As written it would be WAY too much pasta!! I used 3 ears of corn + 1 medium onion + 3 tomatoes + half of a large zucchini (should have used it all) and about 3 cloves of garlic. I also substituted fresh basil as the herb. I also added bacon (6 slices cooked and crumbled) on top of each dish along with a generous sprinkling of parmesan. I will definitely make this again. Family all LOVED it.

This was good with ingredients from our CSA box - so everything was very fresh. No zucchini so used yellow hooked squash and it worked well. I topped it with some torn up burrata before serving. The corn I had was very sweet; maybe next time I'd use a bit of red chile flakes to balance that out and give the dish some kick, but would definitely make again.

This is a great dish but it really needs the tweaks mentioned below. I only used 1/2 pound of pasta and three good-size ears of corn-about 3 cups, and 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes I used half a dozen small Marzano plum tomatoes--and needed about 1 cup of the pasta water to keep the dish moist. I used several large sprigs of fresh basil in the cooking. And finished with a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice off the fire, after adding 2 tablespoons of butter and 1/2 cup of cheese. Next time bacon.

This is amazingly good for so simple a combination--it's not highly flavored, but we couldn't stop eating it. We made it with our mid-season bi-color corn (very crisp, not too sweet), Roma tomatoes and patty pan squash. I suggest orecchiette pasta to catch the corn and diced vegetables. Sauteed corn cut off the cob raw is very, very good--will try it in other combinations.

This was terrific. I was dubious when the instructions said to saute the corn first, and add the onion a few steps on, but this allows the corn to caramel really nicely. I would definitely add some chili flakes though -- the sweetness of the corn tended to overwhelm everything, and the chili gave it a little more zing. And finally, this makes way more than four servings! I made half the recipe and THAT is four servings!

I made this because it seemed like an easy and nutritious vegan recipe, but I was so surprised by how delicious it turns out! I used the light part of a bunch of scallions instead of the onion or shallot because I prefer them for pasta, but did everything else as the recipe dictates. The tarragon shines through wonderfully. Great recipe!

Excellent! Frozen corn, microwaved briefly, dried tarragon. All of large zucchini, shallots. Sprinkled leftover shredded mozzarella on pasta before adding veggie sauce. Squeeze of lemon/lime next time.

Oh my gosh - so delicious! I added a bit of butter and white wine to the veggies as they cooked. Put the sauce over cheese tortellini. Put shaved parm on top. We had to make ourselves stop.

Loved this, but we modified it with what he had on hand. We used frozen corn and Italian seasoning instead of fresh tarragon. Next time we'll add some white beans for protein and 2-3 whole zucchini instead of the recommended 1 cup. Will make agin!

I followed the recipe to a 'T' and it was a winner! Everyone loved it. I added fresh grated Parmesan cheese on top. The Tarragon added a nice flavor dimension to the dish. Highly recommend!

Don't skimp on the quantity of vegetables, you may eyeball it and think this is enough, keep adding! I didn't, was still delicious, but could have used more vegetables.

This was delicious. I used a large can of crushed tomatoes in puree instead of plum tomatoes and it was perfect. Fresh tarragon added to the flavor nicely. The corn and zucchini didn't brown despite cooking a long time over high heat. The flavor didn't suffer at all. I would definitely make this again. My whole family loved it.

Second time I doubled veggies. Also sautéed pancetta with olive oil first. Then too out pancetta and sprinkled on top at end.

I took others' feedback to make some modifications and used what I had no hand: reduced pasta to 8 oz; used 3 ears corn, 2 medium zucchini, a pint of cherry tomatoes halved, fresh basil and chili flakes; and added small pieces of Brie which melted in plus 2/3 c pasta water -- gave it a wonderful creaminess (about half a small round, the outer cirdumference rind removed). Very veggie-rific and super tasty. Such an adaptable recipe.

I've made this twice. The first time was very underwhelming and forgettable. This time, I cooked the pasta while the corn and zucchini cooked, not towards the end when the tomatoes are supposed to turn into a sauce. This way the softer veggies weren't completely cooked down. I also only needed to add a few tsp of pasta water. I tossed the pasta with 3 Tbsp of butter, tossed it with the sauce, and added a cup of shredded parmesan. It was a hit!

This was out of this world!!! I doubled the vegetables as suggested, used a whole box of pasta, and served it with a side of Italian sausage links. Served it to the staff at the local food pantry. HUGE HIT! This is some seriously good food for such humble ingredients. Will be part of my summer recipe collection for sure!

07/15/24. Continued… Dress with fresh good olive oil, squeeze of fresh lemon, and Parmesan cheese Could try adding sautéed shrimp or chicken breast for a more substantial meal.

Surprisingly big bang for the buck, even though I had no tomatoes and had to substitute a red bell pepper. I took others’ advice and used only half a pound of shells, and a sprinkling of red pepper flakes. Used two zucchini but more wouldn’t be a bad thing. I also swirled in close to a cup of pasta water at the end when I melded the veggies and pasta in the large pan. It tasted like summer!

One of the best things I have made from this site. The buttered corn flavor is awesome but next time I’ll cut butter by half. Shallots would be great but I used regular white onion; I think the onion flavor is essential. Also upped the garlic a little. Outstanding.

Added walnuts for protein. Very adaptable recipe

The skillet browned corn is genius. I make this without the pasta and find it is delicious hot or cold.

More veggies less pasta.

The 5-year-old note about ingredients' quantities is correct. I unknowingly took the opposite approach and doubled the ingredients except for pasta given the sizes of the vegies. I will do so next time on purpose since the outcome is delicious!

Nice recipe for late summer when these 3 main ingredients are ripe and plentiful. I used 1/2 lb. pasta as recommended. Basil instead of tarragon.

Such a great use of summer veggies! Yes to others who added red pepper flakes, basil ribbons, and a squeeze of lemon. I added some freshly grated parm while it was hot and it was the icing on the cake! Wonderful recipe!

This was very good! Used dried dill in place of tarragon bc I didn't have it. Added salt and pepper and a little parmesan when serving. Did not use onion bc I don't like it. And still had very good flavor. Very easy to make

I made this almost according to the recipe with the subtraction of a 1/2 lb. of pasta as suggested by Jeanne and the addition of fresh basil instead of tarragon since I didn't have any around. Turned out very well.

I added shrimp in a white wine sauce. Tasty , fresh

Roasted all the vegetables in a sheet pan or two. Makes this recipe easy and delicious!

Great recipe to use up end of summer vegetables! Very easy and very good!

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