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corn, miso, & mascarpone pasta

Published Date
Author tworedbowls

Hello! Well, as usual, this summer has felt like a constant series of racing from one thing to the next, but if it’s one thing I’m happy to have ticked off my list, it’s finally making this corn, miso, & mascarpone pasta, which has been languishing in the back of my mind for far too long.

Years ago now, I discovered this magical charred corn with miso butter, courtesy of David Chang. Something about corn goes hand-in-hand with miso–it brings out the natural sweetness in milder miso pastes but gives it a foil for its fermented earthiness, too. Tied together by butter, the result is extremely addictive.

For awhile I’ve been thinking about what it would be like crossed with a corn agnolotti I want to say I had somewhere in New York many summers ago. It’s a variation on the same theme, except perhaps a bit milder. The sweet corn is paired with creamy mascarpone and some parmesan for that same savory balance that miso lends. So pretty much made to be combined, in my mind, and I am very happy that this little riff has finally come to fruition.

The nice part is that this pasta is lazier than both its inspirations. You don’t need to roast the corn beforehand, although you certainly could if you wanted a little more smokiness in your dish. And rather than take the time to fold the filling into little parcels, you just toss that corn and miso butter mixture with pappardelle, my favorite bouncy egg noodle, then melt generous dollops of mascarpone in for a silky finish. On a few further iterations, I added some sliced scallions for a little extra zip to round it all out. The result is summer at its finest, by turns creamy, sweet, and savory without being too heavy, and comes together in just about 30 minutes. I hope you get to try it while sweet corn is at its peak.

I hope you are all having lovely summers. If you’d like (slightly) more regular glimpses into the little things we get up to here and there, please do join me over at Substack.

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corn, miso, & mascarpone pasta

Ingredients

2 tablespoons white miso, at room temperature (see Notes)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 ears sweet corn

8 ounces dried pappardelle or tagliatelle

1 teaspoon vegetable or olive oil

2–3 scallions, sliced

¼ cup mascarpone

Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. First, whisk together the miso and butter until combined.  Set aside.
  2. Cut the corn kernels from the cobs and set the kernels aside.
  3. Add the cobs to a large pot of water and bring to boil.  Although I typically salt my pasta water, I tend not to here because miso brands sometimes differ in how salty they are and it’s always easier to add a bit of salt at the end than take it away.  Cook the pasta according to the instructions.
  4. While the pasta is cooking, heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add most of the scallions, reserving a handful or so for garnish, and let cook briefly, about 20-30 seconds.  Add the corn kernels and the miso-butter mixture and cook, stirring, until the mixture begins to brown and caramelize slightly.  If the pasta is not yet done, remove the corn-miso mixture from the heat until the pasta is cooked.
  5. When the pasta is done, drain, reserving a ½ cup or so of the pasta water, and add the pasta to the skillet with the corn-miso mixture.  Return to low heat and toss the pasta until it’s glossy and coated in the miso-butter.  Add the mascarpone and toss again until coated.  Loosen with pasta water as needed and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Garnish with remaining scallions and enjoy hot.

Notes

Miso differs in saltiness depending on type.  White is best here because it is sweetest and mildest, but others will work too–just use a bit less and taste as you go.

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