Creamy Summer Tomato Pappardelle

My Summer tomatoes are still trickling in, but I think it’s safe to say the season is coming to an end. And so if the nice weather I’ve been absolutely loving. We used some of our final cherry tomatoes + one of these last sunny days to whip up what was one of my favorite Summer meals - this Creamy Summer Tomato Pappardelle. A combination of our sweet + juicy cherry tomatoes and fresh corn, sautéed to perfection and stirred in with fresh pappardelle pasta + a mascarpone sauce. Lots of seasoning + a hefty dose of fresh basil. It’s light, creamy, cheesy, and an all around delicious Summer pasta.

 
 

Juicy tomatoes are the key

There are 2 big keys to making this pasta, and they are the pillars that put this dinner in the “let’s make this again” category. The first is you’ve gotta blend the sauce. The sauteed veggies, the cheese, and some of the beans all loaded up in the food processor + whipped up to smooth perfection. It’s like a lightened up, Summer alfredo sauce that I am obsessed with.

The second key is letting the tomatoes be the shining star. For me, that means blistering them up in the oven with a little garlic + simple seasoning so they’re jammy, roasted, and take on such a good tomato flavor. If you’re new to this party, over roasted tomatoes are the best way to make juicy, garden fresh tomatoes even better. I stir these in during the final stages of the pasta prep - omitting them from the blended up situation. They get twirled in with the big pappardelle noodles, and are little red pops on your plate that are just the star in every bite. As these garden tomatoes should be!

 
 

Spoiler - you don’t need to cook the corn first

It was literally 2 days ago when I learned you can just cut your corn straight from the cob, add it to your pasta, and not need to boil or roast the whole cob first. And let me tell you what - big timesaver for this girl! I love using fresh corn while it’s in season, and in this pasta the sweet kernels are perfect. About half of them get added to the creamy bean + cheese sauce, helping build a really flavorful + fresh base. The rest stay as is - getting twirled up in the pappardelle with every forkful.

My secret ingredient - cannelini beans

The perfect little white beans are my key to getting a velvety smooth sauce that has some body. It’s also my secret ingredient to adding in some protein (something we’re hot on at our house right now) + lightening up the cheese sauce. Lightening it up, but keep it super flavorful and creamy.

Beans, especially when whipped up in a really good food processor, just help make any sauce creamy + smooth. I reach for them often when I’m trying to lighten up a sauce, and it has never resulted in a sauce that splits or looks unappetizing. It honestly seems to kind of keep the sauce together + ensure it’s perfectly smooth. Didn’t fail us this time!

A very quick + easy pasta that was the perfect showcase of our garden veggies + herbs, and nothing makes me happier these days then a dinner that rooted in a days garden harvest. Finished with a sprinkle of parmesan, a little bit of red pepper (always at our house), and any extra basil. It’s simple, easy to make, & so so yummy.

 
 

For the jammy tomatoes

  • 2 c. cherry tomatoes

  • 4 garlic cloves, smashed

  • EVOO

  • salt + pepper

For the pasta

  • EVOO

  • 1 onion, diced

  • 1 ear of corn, kernels removed

  • 1 can of white beans, drained + rinsed

  • 1/3 c. mascarpone

  • 1/4 c. parmesan

  • fresh pappardelle

  • 1/4 c. fresh basil, thinly sliced

  • red pepper flakes

Preheat the oven to 400. Add the tomatoes, garlic, a drizzle of EVOO, and a sprinkle salt + pepper to a ramekin. Bake for 35-40 minutes. The tomatoes should be lightly charred + starting to burst. Remove from the oven + let cool.

As the tomatoes cook, start with your pasta sauce. Add a drizzle of EVOO to a skillet over medium heat + place a large pot of salted water over medium heat. In the pan with EVOO, add in the onion + cook until translucent. Add in the corn + beans, reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and cook for another 7 minutes. Transfer half of the sautéed veggies to a food processor along with the mascarpone, and puree until smooth. Pour the smooth mixture back into the pan, keeping the skillet over low heat. At the same time, bring the pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pappardelle. Drain the pasta, reserving a quarter cup of the pasta water to add to the sauce. Add the cooked noodles + reserved water to the sauce, increasing the heat and bringing the the sauce to a simmer. Let the sauce cook at low simmer for about 5 minutes, then stir in the cooked tomatoes, parmesan, & fresh basil. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low and let the pasta continue to cook for just a couple minutes.

To serve it up, twirl the noodles into warm bowls, topping each with a little extra parmesan, basil, and red pepper flakes.

Lesley ZehnerComment