Fresh sweet corn and tangy, salty Parmesan cheese stand out in this creamy side dish.
Perfect to round our your summer barbecue!
I had one lonely bag of frozen sweet corn left in my freezer from last summer. This is how this recipe started. One little bag staring back at me, while arm deep in the freezer pulling out ground beef.
Do yo know how sad that makes me? We have a little less than a month left here in Iowa before we start seeing sweet corn stands on every corner. I'm wondering if I'll be able to make it.
Now my kids {and us for that matter} are as happy as hillbillies to eat this stuff straight out of the freezer, warmed up with a bit of butter. And frankly, that is how it hits our plates usually from the months of September through May.
But when summer hits we are eating it straight off the cob or a bit 'fancier' in a dish like this.
A couple of weeks ago my girlfriend and I hit up the farmer's market and we purchased 30 homemade brats for $20, then split them up and took them home. Last night's version was mushroom and swiss {so good!} and I wanted a different kind of dish to accompany them.
My husband's aunt always, always brings a 'macaroni and corn' dish to their family potlucks. It is pretty much a family staple. If it doesn't show up on the counter in a slow cooker, people are inquiring why. Her version, from what I can tell, contains a generous helping of Velveeta and elbow macaroni. I wanted this dish to resemble hers, but at the same time be completely different.
I think I nailed it!
After this dish came together {pretty quickly, under 25 minutes}, we all gobbled down the brats, fresh watermelon and this pasta. It was a perfect summer meal.
And we have leftovers! The best part.
Parmesan Sweet Corn Bowties
12 oz. bowtie pasta
1 c. sweet corn
3 T. unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 T. flour
1 1/2 c. whole milk
1 1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
1. In a pot cook the bowtie pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. In the same pot melt the butter. Once melted sprinkle in the flour and fresh garlic, stirring to combine over medium-high heat, allowing the flour to cook into the butter/garlic sauce, about 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Slowly whisk in the milk, bringing the mixture to a low boil.
4. Once the mixture is thickened, about 4-5 minutes, add in the salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese.
5. Fold in the cooked pasta and corn tossing to combine.
6. Serve hot.
Speaking of summer sweet corn...have you seen these? Disposable sweet corn holders. Perfect for feeding a crowd!
