This creamy summer pasta is made with mafalda pasta and fresh veggies like corn, zucchini, leeks, and spinach then topped with burrata and pesto for a light, summery lunch meal!
I couldn't decide if I wanted this summer pasta to have a creamy sauce or a pesto sauce, so I figured why not both! With a light, lemony cream sauce and a fresh pesto garnish, you get all the delicious texture and flavor of both. Of course you can leave the pesto off if you prefer (but it's SO good)! No matter which sauce you choose, this summer sweet corn pasta with zucchini is sure to be a hit!
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Why You'll Love This Creamy Summer Pasta!
- Loaded with fresh summer vegetables like zucchini, corn, and leeks!
- Has a light, lemony cream sauce that coats the fun mafalda corta pasta.
- Topped with burrata and fresh homemade pesto!
- The perfect summer pasta!
You might also like this lemon ricotta pasta or this pesto risotto!
Ingredient Notes
You just need some simple ingredients and fresh summer produce to make this sweet corn pesto pasta with burrata!
Short pasta - For this creamy summer pasta, I like to use a short pasta such as fusilli, rigatoni, cavatappi, rotini, etc. Use a high-quality die cut pasta like Delallo or De Cecco for the yummiest results. My current favorite is this fun mafalda corta pasta!
Fresh Corn - I think fresh sweet corn is a must because it has the best flavor and texture! However, you can substitute canned or frozen corn instead.
Zucchini - Fresh zucchini is one of my favorite summer vegetables and it goes perfectly in this pasta! But you could also use yellow squash instead.
Leeks - You don't want to use the tough, dark green parts of the leeks in the pasta. But don't just toss them! You can save them in the freezer to make vegetable stock with later. If you've never cooked with leeks before, check out this post about how to properly clean leeks!
Parmesan - This is optional but I'll never pass up an extra sprinkle of parmesan or pecorino cheese!
Fresh spinach - I like adding some fresh spinach to the pasta but you can leave it out if you prefer. Fresh kale or arugula would also be delicious!
White cooking wine - This is optional but adds some great flavor to your pasta sauce! I always keep cheap, dry white wine on hand that I use for cooking. It’s amazing how much flavor a $3 bottle of sauvignon blanc can add to a dish!
Heavy cream - Use cream for a rich creamy sauce or half & half for a slightly lighter version.
Lemon juice - Fresh lemon juice helps add some brightness to the pasta. But you can substitute bottled lemon juice if needed.
Burrata - This is optional, but I love topping the summer sweet corn pasta with Burrata! The mild creaminess of the cheese is the perfect compliment to the fresh veggies.
Fresh pesto - Also optional, but I love topping the pasta with fresh pesto! I use my either my homemade fresh pesto or my spinach pesto! But if you have a different fresh pesto recipe you prefer, feel free to use that instead!
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
Variations
- Add red pepper flakes for a little heat
- Swap the spinach for arugula
- Add in sundried tomatoes
- Top with grilled chicken or seared salmon
How to Make This Creamy Summer Pasta
First prep the veggies!
Thoroughly wash the leeks to remove any dirt, then discard the tough dark green tops. Thinly slice the tender white and light green parts of the leek.
Slice the corn kernels off the cob. Then take each ear of corn and use the back of your knife so scrape any remaining pulp into a bowl. This helps add an even more creamy texture to the sauce.
Cut the zucchini into bite-sized pieces (about 1-2 inches).
In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add in the sliced leeks and garlic and cook until soft and aromatic, about 5 minutes.
Then add in the sliced zucchini, corn kernels, salt, and pepper and sauté for 10-15 minutes or until fully cooked and just beginning to brown.
Then add in the white wine to de-glaze the pan and make sure to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot.
Slowly stir in the heavy cream until fully combined, then reduce the heat to low. Stir occasionally and continue to cook until the sauce begins to simmer and thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Then stir in the spinach, parmesan, fresh basil, and lemon juice.
While the sauce is cooking, go ahead and cook your pasta according to package directions. Make sure you heavily salt the water and cook the pasta for about 1-2 minutes less than the listed time for perfect al dente pasta!
Before draining, scoop out about ½ cup of the starchy pasta water and set aside. Then drain the pasta (but do NOT rinse it).
Add the al dente pasta and pasta water to the sauce and toss gently to combine for 1-2 minutes or until the sauce thickens up and coats the noodles.
Once the noodles are coated in the sauce, taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Serve the creamy summer pasta immediately and top with creamy Burrata and fresh pesto if desired!
Recipe FAQ's
This creamy sweet corn pasta is best eaten the same day, but will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
The creamy summer pasta will soak up the sauce in the fridge, so it's best to gently reheat on the stove with a little cream or water to add more moisture.
Typically it depends on the course. For a light lunch or side dish, typically 2 ounces (55g) per person. For a main course more like 3.5 ounces (100 grams). This recipe is written for 16 ounces of pasta (1 package) which is 4 large servings or 8 small servings.
Tips for Success!
For best results I always recommend using weight measurements (especially when baking) because it's the most accurate. Kitchen scales are super affordable and also reduce the number of dishes you have to do! However, all my recipes also include US customary measurements for convince. Use this chart to convert measurements for common ingredients!
Substitutions: In all my recipes, I've included substitutions that I know will work, but I cannot guarantee results if you substitute ingredients that I have not recommended. [For example, granulated sugar and honey are indeed both sweeteners but they have very different properties so they can not always be swapped 1:1. Using honey in a cookie recipe that calls for granulated sugar will yield a giant mess.] In the recipe card you'll find links to the specific ingredients/brands that I use.
A note on salt: I almost exclusively use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt because it's the best all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If you're not using kosher salt, consult this handy guide for a conversion chart! When in doubt, if you're using table salt just reduce the amount by half for baked goods. When cooking, I prefer to under-salt because you can always add more! If you've over-salted, adding a little bit of acid (like lemon juice) can help.
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Recipe Card
Creamy Summer Pasta with Fresh Corn, Zucchini, & Burrata
Special Equipment
Ingredients
Pasta
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 small leek, sliced
- 2 medium zucchini, sliced
- 4 ears sweet corn
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup white cooking wine, optional
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, shredded
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 16 ounces short pasta
- ½ cup pasta water
Topping
- 1 cup fresh pesto, optional
- burrata
- fresh basil
Instructions
- First prep the veggies!
- Thoroughly wash the leeks to remove any dirt, then discard the tough dark green tops. Thinly slice the tender white and light green parts of the leek.
- Slice the corn kernels off the cob. Then take each ear of corn and use the back of your knife so scrape any remaining pulp into a bowl. This helps add an even more creamy texture to the sauce.
- Cut the zucchini into bite-sized pieces (about 1-2 inches).
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add in the sliced leeks and garlic and cook until soft and aromatic, about 5 minutes.
- Then add in the sliced zucchini, corn kernels, salt, and pepper and sauté for 10-15 minutes or until fully cooked and just beginning to brown.
- Then add in the white wine to de-glaze the pan and make sure to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot.
- Slowly stir in the heavy cream until fully combined, then reduce the heat to low. Stir occasionally and continue to cook until the sauce begins to simmer and thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Then stir in the spinach, parmesan, fresh basil, and lemon juice.
- While the sauce is cooking, go ahead and cook your pasta according to package directions. Make sure you heavily salt the water and cook the pasta for about 1-2 minutes less than the listed time for perfect al dente pasta!
- Before draining, scoop out about ½ cup of the starchy pasta water and set aside. Then drain the pasta (but do NOT rinse it).
- Add the al dente pasta and pasta water to the sauce and toss gently to combine for 1-2 minutes or until the sauce thickens up and coats the noodles.
- Once the noodles are coated in the sauce, taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Serve the creamy summer pasta immediately and top with creamy Burrata and fresh pesto if desired!
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Jen says
I'll use 1/2c less cream, increase to 2 leeks, add zucchini 2 minutes into the corn cooking time, and add little more parm. Super delicious, almond decadent because of the high cream and butter content. Pesto is a must and the burrata added is a WOW! Hubby and I really liked it.