Cheesy Corn Pastina

Yields 3-4 servings

This recipe requires very little convincing to make, and even less to eat. You’re essentially taking mac and cheese, easing the cooking process (only one pan required and no need to mess with a roux!), and mixing in fresh, in-season corn. It feels oddly nostalgic, even though we didn’t eat this growing up. Of course, you can’t have mac and cheese without a breadcrumb topping, so we used our Garlicky Parm Lil Croutons for a quick and flavor-packed garnish. We think this dish would be perfect for weeknight dinners.

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Ingredients

2 tbsp Olive oil, for cooking

1 clove Garlic, minced

1¼ cup Fresh corn kernels, divided

1½ cup Pastina

2½-3 cups Vegetable or chicken stock

2 tbsp Butter, cold

3 tbsp Whole milk, cold

½ cup Gruyere cheese, shredded

½ cup Cheddar cheese, shredded

¼ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

2 tsp Hot Deli Mustard

⅛ tsp Nutmeg, grated

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Garlicky Parm Lil Croutons

Assembly

Step 1
Using an immersion blender or food processor, blend 1 cup of corn kernels until relatively smooth, keeping the remaining ¼ cup whole.

Step 2
Heat large pan over medium heat. Add olive oil and sweat garlic until fragrant.

Step 3
Add both blended and whole corn kernels and reduce heat to medium-low. Stir frequently and let simmer until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.

Step 4
Add pastina and 1½ cups vegetable or chicken stock. Simmer over low heat, continuing to add more stock until pastina is al dente.

Step 5
Stir in cold butter.

Step 6
Add cold milk, mustard, cheeses, and nutmeg. Mix in until smooth and cheese has melted.

Step 7
Top with Garlicky Parm Lil Croutons and serve immediately.

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