Corn Pesto Pasta with Parmesan Chicken

Highlighting summer's best produce in one bowl with this corn pesto pasta with parmesan chicken and bursting roasted tomatoes. Full of flavor and yet surprisingly light!

Watch how to make this

Recipe

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Corn Pesto Pasta with Parmesan Chicken

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: chicken, pasta

Servings: 6

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Roasted cherry tomatoes

• 1 pound cherry tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper

Parmesan chicken

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 3 chicken breasts fileted
• 1 cup grated parmesan
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Corn pesto pasta

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 cups fresh corn kernels about 3 medium corn
• 1 cup fresh basil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 cup grated parmesan divided
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 12 ounces penne pasta
• freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Toss cherry tomatoes with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Lay tomatoes on a baking sheet and roast for 30-35 minutes or until softened and blistered. Remove from the oven and set aside.
• Prepare parmesan chicken. Combine parmesan with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes in a large bowl. Press chicken into parmesan seasoning mix on both sides to create a parmesan crust.
• Heat 1 tablespoon in a large saute pan over medium heat. Cook chicken until golden brown on both sides and the juices run clear, about 7-8 minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add corn and saute until lightly charred. Remove from heat. Combine 1 ½ cups cooked corn with basil, garlic, ½ cup parmesan, and ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil in a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth and season with salt and pepper.
• Cook penne pasta according to directions on package until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 ½ cups of the pasta water.
• Reheat remaining cooked corn over medium heat. Add cooked pasta, corn pesto, remaining ½ cup grated parmesan, and 1 cup reserved pasta water. Stir until well coated and season with salt and pepper. If the pesto is too thick, add additional pasta water as needed. Add roasted cherry tomatoes, gently tossing to combine.
• Slice chicken and portion pasta into plates, topping pasta with sliced chicken. Sprinkle freshly cracked black pepper and finish with extra parmesan if desired. Serve immediately.

Notes

Feel free to roast the cherry tomatoes and prepare the corn pesto the day before.

You can use any short pasta for this dish including rigatoni, orzo, fusilli, or cavatappi to name a few.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Make corn pesto

Corn pesto pasta with parmesan chicken is a delightful Italian-inspired dish that brings together the freshness of sweet corn and basil with the richness of Parmesan cheese. Let's start by making the corn pesto, which adds a burst of flavor to the pasta.

The first time I prepared corn pesto was when I was working as a private chef, cooking for families. My clients immediately fell in love with the unique sauce, so much so that I knew I had to share it with you all.

In a large saute pan, melt two tablespoons of butter over medium heat and saute the fresh corn kernels until they take on a light char.

Once done, remove the corn from the heat and transfer 1 ½ cups of the cooked corn to a food processor or blender. Keep the remaining corn in the pan.

Add fresh basil, garlic, ½ cup of grated Parmesan, and ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil. Puree the mixture until smooth and season it with a pinch of salt and pepper.

If you don't have a food processor, you can use a blender instead. You can make the corn pesto the day before if you prefer.

Step 2: Cook toppings

Now, let's prepare the roasted cherry tomatoes. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Toss the cherry tomatoes in a mixture of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.

Lay the tomatoes on a baking sheet and roast them in the oven for about 30 to 35 minutes until they become soft and blistered. Once they're done, set them aside for later use.

You can also roast the tomatoes the day before.

Next up is the parmesan chicken. In a large bowl, combine grated Parmesan cheese with salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder.

Take boneless, skinless chicken breasts and press them into the Parmesan seasoning mix on both sides. This will create a delicious parmesan crust on the chicken, almost like a breading.

Heat one tablespoon of oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Cook the chicken until it turns golden brown on both sides, and the juices run clear. This should take around 7 to 8 minutes.

Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the heat and keep it warm.

Step 3: Toss pasta with sauce

Now let's move on to the pasta. Cook 12 ounces of penne pasta according to the package instructions until it's perfectly al dente.

Reserve about 1 ½ cups of the pasta water before draining. The pasta water brings together the sauce with the pasta, so it's important to reserve it.

Reheat the remaining cooked corn over medium heat, and then add the cooked pasta, corn pesto, remaining ½ cup of grated Parmesan, and 1 cup of the reserved pasta water. Stir everything together until the pasta is well coated in the pesto sauce.

If the pesto appears too thick, you can add more pasta water as needed.

Finally, add the roasted cherry tomatoes to the pasta, gently tossing them in.

Slice the parmesan-crusted chicken and portion the pasta onto plates. Top the pasta with the sliced chicken and sprinkle some freshly cracked black pepper. Go ahead and sprinkle extra Parmesan cheese if you desire.

The flavors and textures in every bite will leave you appreciating the beauty of this delightful corn pesto pasta with parmesan chicken. It's simple and straightforward ingredients, but they marry together perfectly. I enjoyed the leftover pasta the next day, and it was just as delicious!

For another delicious pesto pasta, check out this spring pea and asparagus pistachio pesto pasta!

Make-ahead and storage

• Make-ahead: The chicken can be cooked earlier and reheated right before serving. The tomatoes and pesto can also be prepared the day before.
• Store: Keep leftovers in airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

More corn recipes

Looking for more dishes featuring corn? Try these: