Photographer: Con Poulos. Stylist: Michele Cranston.
Shell pasta is the perfect shape for savouring every bit of this recipe’s buttery, cheesy sauce. Corn adds freshness and anchovies a burst of flavour. Don’t like anchovies, don’t worry! Once they’re fried in olive oil, they don’t taste super fishy – just pleasantly savoury.
Ingredients
Method
Combine the olive oil, butter, anchovies, garlic and chilli flakes in a large frying pan over low to medium heat; cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until garlic is fragrant but not coloured and anchovies have almost melted into the butter mixture. Add the corn kernels and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes or until corn is just tender.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain and reserve ⅓ cup (80ml) cooking water.
Add the hot pasta to the corn mixture along with the pecorino and enough reserved pasta cooking water to loosen mixture; toss to combine, season with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle with mint leaves. Serve with extra cheese, if desired.
Suitable to freeze.
Test Kitchen tip
How to prepare corn for this recipe
For a no-mess way to remove the kernels, place the cob, tip down, into the centre of a bundt tin. Then, safely holding the stem, run a serrated knife down the sides to release the kernels from the cob into the tin.
To remove silks easily, trim the root end from the cob, place on a plate and microwave for 2 minutes (for two cobs of corn) then gently slide the husks and silk off the corn.
Alternatives to shell pasta
Can’t find pipe rigate pasta at your supermarket? Use another small, short-shaped pasta such as small shells, penne, fusilli or rigatoni instead. Most shapes are interchangeable, and will be just as delicious.
