Mexican Street Corn Pasta

🥘 Ingredients

• bell pepper
  1 unit
• butter
  1 tbsp
• cooking oil
  2 tbsp
• corn kernels
  1 c
• cream cheese
  2 oz
• cream sauce base
  ½ cup
• dried oregano
  1 tsp
• garlic powder
  ½ tsp
• hot smoked paprika
  1 tsp
• jalapeño
  1 unit
• penne pasta
  8 oz
• pepper jack cheese
  2 oz
• scallions
  2 units

🍳 Cookware

• medium pot
• large pan

1. 

   1

   Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry all produce. Core, deseed, and finely dice bell pepper . Drain corn kernels and pat dry with paper towels. Mince half the jalapeño , removing ribs and seeds for less heat. Trim and thinly slice scallions , separating whites from greens.

   bell pepper: 1 unit, corn kernels: 1 c, jalapeño: 1 unit, scallions: 2 units
2. 

   2

   Once the water is boiling, add penne pasta to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente ⏱️ 10 minutes . Reserve 1⁄2 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.

   penne pasta: 8 oz
3. 

   3

   While the pasta cooks, heat a drizzle of cooking oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the bell pepper and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender ⏱️ 5 minutes . If the bell pepper starts to char, add a few splashes of water.

   cooking oil: 2 tbsp
4. 

   4

   Add another drizzle of cooking oil, the corn kernels, jalapeño, scallion whites, garlic powder , and half the dried oregano to the pan with the bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant ⏱️ 2 minutes . Remove from heat and stir in half the hot smoked paprika . Transfer 1⁄4 of the veggie mixture to a plate and reserve for serving.

   garlic powder: ½ tsp, dried oregano: 1 tsp, hot smoked paprika: 1 tsp
5. 

   5

   Return the pan with the remaining veggies to the stovetop over low heat. Stir in the drained penne pasta, cream sauce base , cream cheese , half the pepper jack cheese , half the scallion greens, and 1⁄4 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water. Cook, stirring, until the cream cheese is just melted and the pasta is coated in a creamy sauce ⏱️ 2 minutes . If the pan is too small, carefully transfer everything to the empty pot used for the pasta. Remove from heat and stir in 1 TBSP butter until melted. Taste and season generously with salt and pepper. If needed, stir in more reserved cooking water a splash at a time.

   cream sauce base: ½ cup, cream cheese: 2 oz, pepper jack cheese: 2 oz, butter: 1 tbsp
6. 

   6

   Divide the pasta between bowls. Top with the reserved veggies and remaining pepper jack cheese. Garnish with the remaining scallion greens and serve.