Making a steaming pot of delicious penne pasta cannot get easier than this. I absolutely love this penne with spianch and corn recipe. It is so easy and requires almost zero effort! Just plonking all the ingredients straight into one pot and we have a pasta dish of our dreams.
You can make this penne with spinach and corn for a quick meal fix. It is also customisable, as this recipe remains a very basic one. You can add your choice of herbs, cheese or type of pasta too. However, penne works best in a situation like this (personal recommendation). However, you can go with what you have (fusilli is a winner here too).
Ingredients in this Penne with Spinach and Corn Recipe
This recipe requires just a few basic ingredients, with spinach and corn being the two stars of the show. Ingredients are few but each one of them plays a crucial role in bringing the dish together.
The base of the pasta uses milk. If you want to skip the dairy, you can opt for coconut milk. Or if you want to take it a notch up higher, you can add cream. I like to add milk as it keeps the base lighter and does not make it too heavy to consume.
The cheese is absolutely essential in the end. You can use any cheese of your choice, and as much as you want. As you can probably make out from the video, I have not gone overboard with any ingredient here, even the cheese. Because I wanted to make it a simple, practical recipe which is not overtly indulgent. Having said that, if you are making it for a special night, please be generous with the cheese if you feel like it.
I have gone with normal cheddar here. You can use any kind of cheese. A combination of sharp cheddar and mozzarella works best in this recipe.
Here’s a look at the recipe.
Preparation time – 15 minutes
Cook time – 30 minutes
Serves – 4
[ingredients title=”Ingredients”]
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 15 g butter (1 tbsp approx.)
- 12 g finely chopped garlic (3 tsp approx.)
- 70 g finely chopped onions (2/3 cup approx.)
- 60 g uncooked corn kernels
- 120 g chopped spinach
- 300 ml milk
- 130 g penne pasta
- 26 g toasted walnut paste (see directions)
- Salt to taste
- 2 tsp black pepper powder
- 80 g grated cheese [/ingredients]
[directions title=”Directions”]
- Make the toasted walnut paste and keep ready. To make it, toast some walnuts on a pan till they are golden and crunchy. Cool them and grind them with a little bit of water till a fine paste forms. Keep this ready before you start making the pasta.
- Heat olive oil in a pot alongside butter. Keep the flame at low.
- Once the butter melts and assimilates with the olive oil, add the finely chopped garlic. Let the garlic simmer in the oil at low heat for a few minutes till it releases its aroma and flavours into the oil.
- Add the onions and increase the heat to medium. Stir for 3-4 minutes or till the onions are cooked and turn translucent.
- Add the corn kernels and cook for five to six minutes till they are nice and soft. Uncooked corn kernels do not take too much time to cook.
- Once the corn is cooked, add the spinach and stir it in for another two minutes.
- The spinach will wilt quickly. Pour the milk into the pot, alongside the penne and the walnut paste.
- Let the milk come to a boil. Then reduce the flame to low and cook covered till the penne is completely soft.
- Take lid off and add grated cheese. Mix and reduce till a thick consistency. At this point, you can add some fresh herbs like basil.
- Serve hot alongside some bread on the side. Enjoy! [/directions]
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