Fresh Corn and Basil Add Summery Notes to This Easy Pasta Dinner

The last flavors of summer are highlighted in this dish.

The savory sauce offsets the sweetness of the corn. Steve Klise/TNS

Summer might be winding down, but this pasta dish highlights some of the season’s best bounty. Blending fresh basil into reduced cream with Parmesan made a rich, savory, herbaceous sauce for tortellini, offsetting the sweetness of the fresh corn and mellowing the spice of a Fresno chile.

Tortellini With Corn and Basil Cream Sauce

Serves 4

• 2 (9-ounce) packages fresh cheese tortellini
• 3/4 teaspoon table salt, divided, plus salt for cooking pasta
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 ears corn, kernels cut from cobs
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 red Fresno chile, sliced into thin rings
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, plus extra for serving
• 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup), plus extra for serving

Bring 4 quarts water to boil in a large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot.

Melt butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add corn, shallot, Fresno chile, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until vegetables are tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to pot with pasta.