When corn is in season, try this Creamy Corn Pasta! Crisp bacon, sweet corn, and sharp Cotija cheese pair perfectly with orecchiette pasta, creating an extraordinary weeknight dinner.
In our house, pasta is always the answer to what to cook when I'm short on time. Like this Mac and Cheese recipe and this Pancetta and Pea Pasta, if it's creamy and starchy, it also means my kids are guaranteed to like it, too. Easy dinner + kids who will actually eat it = a win.
This corn pasta with cheese and bacon offers the perfect blend of flavors: salty, crisp bacon; savory green onions and garlic; and fresh, sweet corn. A small amount of cream, along with some pasta cooking water, enhances the creamy taste and texture without overwhelming the dish. Finally, Cotija cheese ties all the elements together. Orecchiette, with its unique "little ear" shape, scoops up the bacon and corn, making each forkful a perfect bite.
Ingredients Needed and Substitutions
Here is a brief overview of the ingredients needed for this recipe. The recipe card lists the full recipe with quantities below this text.
- green onions
- bacon (omit this to make it vegetarian)
- garlic
- fresh corn cobs (use frozen if you need to)
- heavy cream
- butter
- orecchiette pasta (this is the preferred shape so that it scoops up the sauce, bacon, and corn, but honestly just use what you like)
- Cotija (This is an aged cow's milk Mexican cheese known for its crumbly texture and salty, tangy flavor. It's amazing in this dish, but if you can't find it, swap in parmesan.)
How to Make It
This is a quick visual overview of the steps needed to make this recipe. If you are looking for the full recipe, keep scrolling!
Step 1: Remove the kernels from the corn cob.
Step 2: Cook the bacon until crispy. Drain most, but not all, of the rendered fat.
Step 3: Add green onions, garlic and corn. Once cooked through, add cream and butter.
Step 4: Add cooked pasta and pasta water until the sauce coats it. Stir in cotija at the end.
Kelli's Best Tips
Just a few notes to make sure this recipe goes smoothly for you:
- Add in pasta water a little at a time. However, keep in mind that as the dish sits, the creamy sauce gets thicker and thicker, so you may want to add in just a splash more than what you think you need; that way, it doesn't thicken too much.
- Add the cotija at the very end, once the pasta has slightly cooled down. The goal here is not to melt the cotija, but instead add it in so it still has some granular texture to it.
- Don't add salt until the very end. Because of the salted pasta water and the salty bacon and cheese, you likely won't need to add salt to this dish at all. But if you do, add it in at the end after you've tasted it.
Storing Leftovers
This pasta dish reheats nicely. It should keep for 1 to 2 days in the refrigerator. I can't recommend freezing this.
To reheat you can heat it in an oven-safe container. I love using these Glass Pyrex Containers because they double as storage and baking dishes. Or, you can reheat briefly in the microwave until warmed through. It's best to add a few tablespoons of water to the dish when you are reheating it.
More Corn Recipes
More Pasta Recipes
Making this Corn Pasta? Be sure to leave a comment with a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on your experience! Have a question? Leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you as quickly as I can!
PrintFull Recipe
Creamy Corn Pasta with Bacon
- Prep Time: 00:10
- Cook Time: 00:25
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
Description
When corn is in season, make this Creamy Corn Pasta! Crisp bacon, sweet corn and sharp pungent Cotija cheese and orecchiette to scoop everything up make this weeknight pasta out-of-this-world-good.
Ingredients
- Salt (for pasta water and seasoning)
- 1 pound dried orecchiette pasta
- 6 slices bacon, diced
- 2 green onions, trimmed and sliced thin, whites and greens separated
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups fresh-cut corn kernels (cut from 4-6 cobs)
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup grated Cotija (or Parmesan cheese)
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with water and add a big pinch of salt. Bring it to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add the pasta and set the timer to cook to al dente according to package instructions. Set aside 1 cup of pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and return it to the large pot.
- Meanwhile, heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until crispy. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of rendered bacon fat from the pan.
- Add the green onion whites and garlic to the pan with the bacon and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the corn and cook until softened about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the cream and butter and cook until the butter is melted about 30 seconds. Shut off the heat.
- Add the cooked pasta to the pan with the corn mixture. Stir together, adding the reserved pasta water a little at a time, until saucy and well coated.
- Right before serving, stir in the grated Cotija, then taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt as needed. Serve with the green onion tops for garnish.
Notes
Don't add salt until the very end. Because of the salted pasta water and the salty pancetta, you likely won't need to add salt to this dish at all. But if you do, add it in at the end after you've tasted it.
Use any pasta that you want here, though the orecchiette are fun for holding the corn and bacon
Bacon can be swapped out with ham or you can even omit it. Though you'll lose a bit of flavor, so I recommend increasing the garlic and adding salt.
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