This creamy corn pasta is so easy and delicious that you will keep coming back to this one many times. I used frozen corn here paired with jalapeños(I mean.. is there a better combo?) and leeks. This pasta is tasty, comforting and yet light. It also comes together really quick for a weeknight dinner but is special enough to serve guests as well! Also this recipe is completely vegan but you could substitute regular dairy if you prefer. Let's dive in to the recipe.
Corn and Jalapeños anyone?
This recipe is a riff on the popular creamy corn casserole. Although corn is associated with summer, I think a warm, velvety and rich pasta casserole is such a great dish during the colder months. I wanted to add pasta in to the mix to make it a more heartier meal. For some spiciness and added flavor, I decided to add in jalapeños and leeks. So that's how the creamy corn pasta with jalapeños came about.
I love the combination of corn and jalapeños since the sweetness of the corn marries so well with the spiciness of the jalapeños. The leeks add a lot of flavor like onions but are milder. For creamy sauce, I basically made a roux using almond flour as base and then mixed in oat milk, vegan cream cheese and some nutritional yeast.
How to prepare the creamy corn pasta
This is a walkthrough of the process. The step by step process and the list of ingredients is listed in the recipe card below. To begin with, get a pot of salted water on the stove for the pasta. Get another dutch oven/ sauce pan going on at the same time to saute the vegetables. We will saute some herbs like thyme and sage first and then add in the leeks. This is followed by sliced jalapeños and then frozen corn. Let it cook for 5 minutes or so and remove from the pan.
In the same pan, heat some vegan butter. Once the butter has melted, add an equal amount of almond flour to make a roux. Use regular flour if you prefer. Whisk quickly to ensure the mixture does not become lumpy or stick. Keep stirring to prevent burning and to ensure you cook the flour completely. Now slowly add the oat milk and stir well. This is to ensure all of the roux is incorporated well in to the mixture. After this, I added the same amount of vegetable broth as the oat milk. I stirred in the nutritional yeast and sour cream along with salt and pepper. I let this mixture cook for a couple of minutes before adding back the corn mixture.
At this point, I added more seasoning and let the mixture cook at low heat for 4-5 minutes. Simultaneously add the pasta in the boiling water and cook according to instructions. I used small macaroni which took around 6 minutes to cook al dente.
Making a casserole out of your pasta
Now you could just add the cooked pasta to the sauce, top it some cheese and be done with it. I however decided to turn this in to a casserole. I did this because I love casseroles and love the crispy, crunchy bits of pasta after it has spent some time in the oven. To make the casserole, I simply added the cooked pasta in a oven safe pan, topped it with the sauce and gave it a good mix. I then topped it with some vegan cheese and popped it in the oven for 30 minutes. Either way it tastes amazing! I hope you give this creamy corn pasta dish a try and if you do let me know on Instagram by using the hashtag #dillandthyme.
If you are looking for more recipes, check the ones below.
Navy Beans and Wild Rice Casserole
Recipe
Creamy Corn Pasta with Jalapeños and Leeks
Equipment
- 1 9" x 11" Oven Safe Pan
Ingredients
- 16 oz Short dry Pasta
- 12 oz Frozen or Canned Corn
- 6 oz Leeks cleaned and sliced
- 1 whole Jalapeno sliced or chopped
- 2 tablespoon Avocado Oil
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Thyme
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Sage chopped
Sauce
- 2 tablespoon Butter
- 2 tablespoon Almond Flour
- 4 cloves Garlic finely chopped
- 1 cup Oat Milk
- 1 cup Vegetable Broth
- 2 tablespoon Nutritional Yeast
- 4 tablespoon Vegan Sour Cream or Yoghurt
- ½ cup Vegan Cheddar or Mozzarella Cheese for topping
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- 1. Heat a large pan with salted water on the stove to cook the pasta at medium high heat.
- Heat another deep pan to medium low and add the avocado oil. Once the oil is hot, add the thyme and sage. Saute for 30 seconds.
- Add the leeks and cook for 2-3 minutes. Now add the jalapeños and cook for another 2 minutes. Now mix in the corn,season the mixture and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Remove the corn mixture and keep aside without turning off the stove.
- Now add the butter to the same pan and let it melt. Add the flour and mix well until there are no lumps. Let the mixture cook for a couple of minutes until the flour is very lightly browned. Mix in the chopped garlic and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Check on the water for the pasta. If it is boiling, add in the pasta and cook according to instructions.
- While the pasta is cooking, add oat milk to the roux and slowly stir to ensure all of the roux is incorporated and there are no lumps. Then add the vegetable broth and let everything cook for a couple of minutes.
- Now stir in the nutritional yeast, sour cream or yoghurt and season. Add the cooked corn mixture. Turn down the heat to the lowest level.
- Once the pasta is cooked, mix it in to sauce and serve as it is. If you want to serve it as a casserole, add this mixture to a 9" x 11" oven safe pan. Top with cheddar or mozzarella shreds and bake in oven at 375 deg F for 25-30 minutes.
Notes
- I like my food spicy hence did not deseed the jalapeños. If you prefer it les spicy, then use a whole or half a jalapeño and remove the seeds. You can also use a less spicier chilli pepper like Anaheim.
- Timing is key for this recipe to ensure your pasta is cooked and can be mixed in to the sauce right away. Depending on the pasta and the cooking time, start the second part (roux) of the sauce accordingly.
- I used small macaroni but you could use any short( or long) pasta. Adjust the quantity of oat milk, broth and seasoning accordingly since bigger size pasta would need a larger amount of sauce to coat it completely.
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