Summer Pesto Fettuccine + Sweet Corn

The best part about being home in Chicago is getting to cook a meal for people I love. The combination of basil pesto and corn makes me nostalgic for Chicago summers. So on a recent visit home it seemed fitting to make this dish with Mom’s classic pesto recipe. 

We made fresh fettuccine pasta with a quick pesto (heavy on the basil, light on garlic) and crunchy corn - sliced off the cob for a quick sauté! I use the Flour+Water pasta dough recipe but you can also use dried pasta. De Cecco is the brand I grew up eating as a kid and it’s still the box I grab when grocery shopping today.  For this recipe below I’ve included directions for using dried pasta.

CHEF TIP FOR THE PESTO…Submerge your basil in an ice water bath for 10-15 mins, and then thoroughly spin-dry to remove all of the excess water. This will help your pesto keep its vibrant green color.

Basil Pesto

Yield 2 cups of pesto

Ingredients 

2 cups fresh basil, lightly packed (stems removed)

2 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted

1-2 large cloves garlic (we only used 1 because we wanted the basil and corn flavors to shine, as well as making it kid-friendly)

½  cup extra-virgin olive oil 

½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Optional: pinch of sugar if pesto has a slight bitterness, 5-6 microplane grates of lemon zest if you want to brighten up the flavor. 

Method

Place the basil, pine nuts and garlic in a food processor and blend until finely chopped. 

Next, slowly drizzle the olive oil into the mixture with the blade running. Lastly, add the cheese and pulse several times, just until the pesto comes together. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge. 

PUTTING THE DISH TOGETHER

Yield 4 main course servings

2 cups of fresh raw corn kernels 

1 tablespoon of olive oil 

½ lb of dried fettuccine 

1 ½ cups of homemade pesto 

1 tablespoon of butter 

kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper

optional - handful of small basil leaves for garnish

Method 

Sauté raw corn in a hot pan with olive oil until slightly brown on one side for 3-4 minutes. Season with a little salt and freshly cracked pepper and set aside.

Cook pasta in salted boiling water according to package directions. When pasta is al dente, pull out of water and add to a large mixing bowl, with 1 cup of pesto, butter and ½ of the corn. If pesto sauce needs thinning add 1-2 tablespoons of still-warm pasta water. 

Taste and season with additional salt, pepper and pesto sauce if needed. Place pasta on a serving platter or divide evenly among 4 bowls. Top with remaining corn and basil leaves.