End of Summer Romance—with Vegetables

Saying goodbye to the last harvest of corn, tomatoes and zucchini is something I’ll never get over.

I’m spoiled. Maybe it was growing up part-time in Italy, where the abundance of summer is most palpable at the sandy beaches dotted with umbrellas, the long lines at gelaterias, and, of course, the revered open-air markets overflowing with sun-kissed vegetables.

The stars of this humble pasta dish indeed are the ingredients themselves. I’ve attempted to keep the vegetables as unadulterated as possible while coaxing the maximum flavor most notably from the corn, which I cream using a simple hand grater to yield sweet cream for the sauce.

While basil may seem an obvious choice for this recipe, mint may surprise you—until you take your first bite of pasta. Believe me when I say you’ll never want to serve this dish without the vibrancy mint delivers. In the hopes of catching bits of the sauce, my pasta preference is mezzi rigatoni . Of course, you can use whatever you have on hand.

If you’re looking to make this pasta dish more decadent, top it with shrimp quickly sautéed in garlic, oil and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. In this case, the Parmigiano would be optional—at least in my Roman family’s kitchen.

WATCH How to make Creamed Corn Pasta with Tomatoes and Zucchini

Take 5 ingredients
short pasta
parmigiano-reggiano
corn
cherry tomatoes
zucchini

You may already have on hand
extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt
basil
mint

Recipe by Silvana Nardone, food magazine editor and author of six cookbooks.