Need a quick, restaurant-quality meal made exclusively from ingredients in your pantry? These 4-ingredient creamy corn noodles will soon be your go-to weeknight meal. It features a combination of tender pasta and a luscious, sweet and savory corn sauce that feels like high-class summer comfort food. You won’t believe what a large amount of flavor can come from a short, affordable ingredient list.
This clever noodle recipe was the perfect solution for me when I needed a filling vegetarian dinner but didn’t want to go out to the supermarket. A sauce made by pureeing sweet corn with heavy cream yields a luscious, naturally sweet sauce that coats each piece of pasta. The entire process takes less than 15 minutes from start to finish, which means it’s quicker than delivery.
One of my favorite things about this recipe is the contrast between the luscious, cheesy sauce and crunchy whole corn kernels. It makes for an amazing mouthful of texture that is totally unexpected for such an easy dish. So grab your biggest bowl and fill it up with this addictive sweet & savory pasta!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
This recipe is a dream on busy nights since it’s a genuine 15-minute meal made possible through smart time-saving techniques. While the pasta boils, you cook a quick corn cream sauce in a saucepan on the stovetop. You don’t have to do any complicated prep or lengthy simmering, and there isn’t a lot to clean up. You get to eat a huge serving of comfort food without the hassle.
Creamy corn noodles are a staple in my dinner repertoire because they’re so kid-friendly and flavorful. The taste is neither too sweet nor too salty, as the sweetness of the corn is tempered by the salty, savory parmesan cheese. This results in a light and tasty dish that everyone enjoys. It’s also a cheap meal that will satisfy everyone at the table.
What You Need
To make this delicious and comforting pasta, all you need are your favorite noodles, sweet corn, heavy cream, and freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Your Favorite Noodles
It doesn’t matter if you’re using long, thin strands of linguine, spaghetti, or even instant ramen noodles (minus the seasoning packet). Pasta is the perfect starchy vehicle for this creamy dish. Cook the noodles in very well salted water until just al dente since they will soften a bit more once you add them to the hot cream sauce. Before draining the noodles, save some of the starchy cooking liquid in case you need to loosen the sauce up.
Sweet Corn
Sweet corn is the star of this recipe! It adds such a gorgeous golden hue to this creamy dish and tons of flavor. Sweet corn has so much natural, sweet flavor, plus a touch of earthiness. Canned, frozen, or fresh corn works. Just be sure to drain the canned corn, thaw the frozen, and if you’re using fresh, cut the kernels off the cob. Half of the corn will go into the blender to help create the sauce and half will remain whole to add to the dish.
Heavy Cream
Using heavy cream instead of trying to make a flour-based roux is a quick and easy shortcut for adding plenty of richness and creaminess to the dish. As the cream cooks and simmers in the skillet, it reduces and thickens. You want it to coat each strand of pasta. For a lighter version, you can use half-and-half. You might just have to simmer it for a few more minutes so it can reduce a little more and thicken enough to cling to the noodles.
Parmesan Cheese
Freshly grated parmesan adds a delicious tangy flavor that stands out against the creamy corn sauce. Shred it yourself rather than using store-bought grated cheese because the pre-packaged kind contains anti-caking agents that might result in a grainy sauce. The salty cheese also helps bring all of the flavors together in this simple corn pasta dish.
How to Make Creamy Corn Noodles
Grab a large pot and skillet. Let’s get started on this incredibly easy meal!
Boil the Noodles
In a large saucepan of heavily salted water, bring to a boil. Add noodles and cook until al dente, per package directions. Reserve ¼ cup of starchy pasta water, then drain noodles.
Blend the Sauce Base
While the noodles boil, combine half of the corn and heavy cream in a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth and creamy, for a sweet golden corn sauce.
Simmer the Sauce
Pour the corn cream into a large skillet and place over medium heat. Add the rest of the corn and bring the sauce to a simmer for 3-4 minutes.
Toss and Melt
Reduce the heat to low and add the cooked pasta into the skillet. Sprinkle the parmesan on top and mix everything thoroughly with tongs until the cheese melts and creates a creamy, glossy sauce.
Garnish and Serve
If the sauce is too thick, stir in a little reserved pasta water to thin. Take off the heat and toss one more time before serving immediately.
My Top Recipe Tips
The most crucial step in this recipe is reserving some of the pasta water before draining. Starchy pasta water is a life-saver for thinning out the sauce without diluting the flavor and helps the cheese bind to the noodles without breaking.
Do not bring the cream to a hard boil in the skillet. Boiling cream breaks down the emulsion and causes the fat to separate, leading to a greasy, curdled sauce. Instead, keep it at a steady simmer so it can reduce properly and create a nice, thick consistency.
If you want to amp up the flavor in this recipe, char the corn in a hot, dry skillet for 5 minutes before adding it to the blender. This creates a delicious, smoky corn base that tastes like Mexican street corn.
4-Ingredient Creamy Corn Noodles
Equipment
- Large pot
- Large skillet
- Blender or food processor
- Tongs
- Cheese grater
Ingredients
- 8 oz noodles linguine, spaghetti, or ramen without seasoning packets
- 2 cups sweet corn canned, frozen and thawed, or fresh
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated
- Salt and black pepper to taste optional
Instructions
- In a large pot of heavily salted water, bring to a boil. Add noodles and cook until al dente as per the package directions. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water and drain the noodles.
- Add 1 cup of the sweet corn and heavy cream to a blender. Blend until smooth.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, pour in the blended corn and cream.
- Add in the remaining 1 cup of whole corn kernels.
- Allow the mixture to simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it begins to thicken.
- Lower the heat to low. Add the cooked noodles and grated parmesan cheese to the skillet.
- Using tongs, toss the noodles until the cheese has melted and the noodles are coated in a thick, glossy sauce. Add a little bit of reserved pasta water if the sauce is too thick.
- Season with salt and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately while hot.
Nutrition
Storage and Reheating
- Store: Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Not recommended; the cream will break down and the noodles will be mushy after freezing.
- Reheat: Reheat in a skillet over low heat or in the microwave with a splash of milk or water to bring back the creamy sauce.
Serving Suggestions
- Served with juicy, cast iron seared chicken breasts or grilled shrimp.
- Topped with crispy, crumbled bacon and fresh chopped scallions just before serving.
- Served with a crisp and refreshing arugula salad tossed with a lemon vinaigrette.
- Served with warm, buttery garlic bread to dip in the leftover corn sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this recipe dairy-free?
Absolutely! Use full fat canned coconut milk or an unsweetened oat creamer in place of the heavy cream, and a savory nutritional yeast or a high quality vegan parmesan alternative will do the trick for the parmesan cheese.
Why did my cheese clump up instead of melting smoothly?
This can happen if your pan is too hot when you add the cheese, or if you use bagged shredded parmesan. Be sure to reduce the heat before adding the cheese and grate your own from a block for best results.
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