Mushroom Corn Penne

Corn doesn’t have to be grilled. It can be cooked in a skillet. Mushroom corn penne is a simple weeknight dinner that’s made on the stove.

There are few things that scream summer more than corn.

From the overflowing bins at the farmers market to buttery cobs with husks for handles at street festivals, not a day goes by where you don’t spot those beautiful yellow kernels.

Grilling is my main cooking method during these months, but I know not everyone has access to a grill or feels comfortable cooking over an open flame.

And that’s ok.

A couple months ago I did a post about how to grill vegetables without a grill using a grill pan on the stovetop.  That recipe included corn, but grilling is not the only way to cook fresh corn.

You can rip off the husks and carefully dunk those ears in boiling water and simmer them.

Another option is to slice off the kernels and sauté them. That’s what I did with this mushroom corn penne.

Sautéing feels like a more dressed up and less messy way to enjoy corn. 

How To Cook Mushroom Corn Penne

I started by cooking the penne until it was al dente.

Then I sautéed the white parts of scallions and mushrooms. It seemed like a lot in the skillet, but the mushrooms cooked down in about 5 minutes.

That gave me space for the corn. When it went into the pan, it had a pale yellow color. Once the corn was cooked it was bright and golden.

About a minute before the corn and mushrooms were finished, I stirred in minced garlic, salt and pepper. 

Things got very fragrant. I knew it was time to fold in the pasta. 

Then I added Parmesan, fresh parsley and thinly sliced green scallions. 

Mushroom corn penne is a simple recipe that would make a good weeknight dinner.

If you can’t get your hands on fresh corn, you can use canned corn. I wouldn’t recommend frozen even if it’s thawed because it can tend to turn out a bit soggy.

I love the contrast of the crunchy corn to soft sautéed mushrooms.  

Mushroom Corn Penne

• Author: Paige Adams
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 17-18 minutes
• Total Time: 22-23 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4 1x

Corn doesn’t have to be grilled. It can be cooked in a skillet. Mushroom corn penne is a simple weeknight dinner that’s made on the stove.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces penne pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 2 ears corn, kernels sliced off cobs (or 1 15-ounce can corn, drained and rinsed)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 ounce shaved Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

Instructions

1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Cook the penne according to package instructions. Drain the pasta in a colander.
2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat. Add the white parts of the scallions and mushrooms. Sauté for 5 minutes until the mushrooms start to brown. Add the corn and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes until it turns bright yellow.  Add the garlic, salt and pepper, sautéing until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Stir the pasta, green scallions, Parmesan and parsley into the skillet.