This Shrimp Corn Pasta is a delicious mix of sweet corn, succulent shrimp, salty parmesan, and a good splash of cream. It makes the perfect summer pasta dinner.
The simplicity of this dish hides something amazing, corn and butter are a wonderful mix, and when you add parmesan into the mix, the sauce for this pasta starts to come together. The shrimp are delicious, but this dish is all about the creamy corn sauce.
Use fresh corn in summer if possible, but this is also great with canned or frozen corn!
Ingredient Notes
These notes are here to help make this recipe a success; they cover some but not all ingredients; for a complete ingredient list, check out the recipe card below.
Shrimp: I like to buy frozen raw shrimp! They defrost quickly, meaning I can always make a quick dinner with them. Or you can use fresh shelled and deveined shrimp. Ensure if you are using frozen that, they are fully defrosted before cooking. Whether I buy fresh or frozen, I generally go for 20-25 or 26-30 count, which gives a good serving of shrimp per person - between 8-12.
Corn: You can use fresh, canned or frozen corn. You can't beat it in summer when fresh corn is sweet and juicy. But frozen/canned corn is an excellent substitute if it isn't available.
Butter: This recipe has a fair bit of butter because butter and corn go hand in hand, and butter is the basis of the sauce. Use salted butter for more depth of flavor.
Pasta: There is something about a long pasta coated in a rich buttery sauce, so I suggest linguine or spaghetti for this recipe
Heavy Cream: This helps the sauce to thicken. You can use half and half or single cream for this recipe but you may need to thicken the sauce with some flour.
Parmesan cheese: This is part of the sauce; it helps to thicken the luscious sauce and stick to the pasta. If you can, buy a block and grate it yourself, the flavor and texture is much better.
Herbs: I love the pop of green and hint of onion that chives give this dish, but basil, parsley, oregano, or chervil would be equally good.
Why You'll Love This Shrimp Corn Pasta
- It is ready in under 30 minutes.
- It is the perfect summer pasta dish.
- Kids love it because of the sweetness of the corn.
- It is easy to adapt to different proteins.
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Recipe Tips
We've tested this recipe at least 3 times to ensure it works well for you, have a look at our tips for getting the best dish you can!
- Be sure to heavily salt your pasta water once it comes to a boil and before adding the pasta.
- Reserve at least 2 cups of pasta cooking water before draining the pasta. This helps the parmesan and cream become a silky sauce.
- Cook the pasta for two minutes less than the packet suggests. The pasta will finish cooking in the sauce, soaking up the delicious flavors without overcooking.
- Don't overcook the shrimp; they will be tossed through hot pasta and will continue cooking. Saute them until they are just starting to curl into a C shape, then remove them from the pan.
Recipe Adaptions
These are all just suggestions and things that have worked in our test kitchen, but it is your dinner, so adapt it to suit your family. That is the beauty of cooking; we can all create our own delicious meals.
- Give your shrimp corn pasta a kick with red pepper flakes.
- Add crumbled, cooked bacon for a crispy, salty, smoky hit.
- Swap out the protein. You can replace the shrimp with some leftover cooked chicken.
- Leave out the shrimp and have creamy corn pasta.
- Add extra veggies and toss some baby spinach through at the end.
- Add some chopped cherry tomatoes to the pasta as you toss everything together.
- Add a pangratatto topping. These toasted breadcrumbs add a deliciously crunchy, crispy element to the pasta.
Serving Suggestions
Sides: It is hard to go past a summer pasta and not add a fresh salad. So for this Shrimp Corn pasta I would serve it with either a simple green salad or, my favorite, arugula and parmesan salad. Or try some simple green veg like asparagus or broccolini.
Wine: The corn's creaminess and sweetness and the shrimp's subtle sweetness would be perfectly balanced with a Soave, Gavi di Gavi, or a Chablis. If you have added red pepper flakes to your pasta, then a different pairing would be a Gewurztraminer.
Enjoy x
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Get the Recipe
Shrimp Corn Pasta
Ingredients
For the shrimp
- 1 lb raw shrimp - peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
For the Pasta
- 12 oz spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon salt
For the sauce
- ¼ cup butter
- 2 cups corn kernels
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- ⅔ cup grated parmesan
- salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs
Instructions
Cook the shrimp
- Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Toss the shrimp in salt and pepper, add them to the hot pan, and cook for 3 minutes, turning often. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.1 lb raw shrimp½ teaspoon salt½ teaspoon pepper
Cook the pasta
- Bring a large pan of water to a boil. Add the salt and cook the pasta for 2 minute less than the packet suggests. (Set your timer)1 tablespoon salt12 oz spaghetti
- Remove 2 cups of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta.
Making the sauce
- While the pasta water is coming to a boil, melt the butter in the skillet over medium-high heat.¼ cup butter
- Add the corn and cook for 4 minutes until it has softened.2 cups corn kernels
- Once the corn is cooked, use the back of the wooden spoon to squash and crush some of it against the sides to release its juices.
- Add the half and half and bring to a simmer; reduce the heat to low until the pasta has finished cooking.⅔ cup heavy cream
- Add the drained pasta to the sauce and ¼ cup of the reserved cooking water.
- Stir the pasta gently until it's coated and cooked into the sauce and the pasta is cooked to your liking. If the sauce gets too thick you can add extra pasta cooking water. This should take roughly 2-3 minutes.
- Add the cooked shrimp to the pasta and cook everything for a further minute, tossing gently.
- Add in the parmesan and more pasta cooking water if needed to make a luscious sauce.⅔ cup grated parmesan
- Season to taste and serve with fresh herbs.salt and pepper1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs
Nutrition
Nutrition is per serving
Sarita says
I had a handful of broccoli and red pepper slices so tossed those in too. This was so good! Even my picky nine-year-old loved it.
Chichi says
This is a delicious pasta dish! It’s a family favorite.
rupali says
Such a beautiful and easy dish to make for busy nights! We all loved it. Definitely making it again.
Claire says
The corn was so creamy! I didn't have many prawns left so I used what I had and threw in come bacon like you suggested. So delicious.
Great recipe and I love all the variations 🙂
Jennifer says
This pasta dish was a winner--fresh and delish! We will be making it on repeat throughout the summer. Seafood is so great for dinner because it cooks so quickly!
Angela Pagliarello says
I'm always looking for new pasta recipes, and this recipe with shrimp and corn is super yummy! Perfect for summer days!