PITTSBURGH — One of the best parts of summer are the long and short car trips that get you out of town and into nature.
Even better: The family-run farm stands featuring flowers, eggs, jams and seasonal fruit and veggies — sometimes sold from the back of a pickup truck or small shelter at the end of a dirt driveway leading back to the farm.
Chief among August offerings is sweet corn, which has been grown and continues to be universally loved as a summer staple for more than 200 years.
Pennsylvania farmers grow more than 100 million bushels of corn each year. Most of it is fed to livestock (animal agriculture, especially dairy, is a huge industry in the state) or used for ethanol, but the green, leafy stalks bearing ears destined for dinner tables are anything but ho-hum.
Harvested early, while the kernels are still young in the “milk stage,” sweet corn is exactly as billed — sweet, with tender, juicy kernels that burst open on the tongue when you bite into a buttery cob that’s been steamed, boiled, grilled or roasted in the oven.
The start of the 2026 corn season was slightly delayed because spring weather was so squirrely (remember that late April freeze that ruined this year’s strawberry and peach crop?) But this is shaping up to be a good year for corn in Western Pennsylvania, with more than 1 million acres planted.
While the best way to eat sweet corn is probably right off the cob, salted and heavily buttered, the veggie lends itself to a wide range of summer dishes. Pan roasted, it can easily star in a pasta salad or the Mexican dish known as elote; it also can be simmered in a soup or chowder, team up with tomatoes in a cobbler, be scraped into hot cream for a luscious pudding or be folded into risotto.
More a fan of dessert? Corn can even be made into a sweet, no-churn ice cream.
All told, the possibilities are almost endless for the creative cook — a happy fact that makes buying a dozen ears when you’re only planning on eating half that much that day a smart move.
Here, sweet corn purchased at a roadside farmers market is the star ingredient in a creamy, super-seasonal pasta dish.
After the kernels are grated down to the cob using the large holes of a box grater set in a deep bowl, the cobs are added to a pot of boiling water to make a flavorful “corn stock” full of sugars and starches. When pasta is added to the hot corn water after the cobs are removed, the noodles not only absorb the corn’s sweet, earthy flavor but the starchy water helps bind the sauce into something wonderfully silky.
Because zucchini is typically on display alongside corn at a farm stand, and almost melts into a creamy sauce when sautéed in butter, I added small cubes of it to the pan along with shallots and a diced (homegrown) red chile pepper. A handful of halved cherry tomatoes add a punch of color and candy-like sweetness to the finished dish.
When buying corn, look for ears with fresh, tightly wrapped green leaves and golden or light brown silks at the top that feel slightly sticky. That’s a sign that the corn was ripe when it was picked. An ear should feel plump and firm when lightly squeezed; avoid ones with holes in the leaves (possible worms!).
Fresh corn very quickly looses its sweet flavor after being picked — it’s best within two days of purchasing — so if you’re not using it right away, leave the husks on and store in your fridge’s crisper drawer as soon as possible.
Pasta with Sweet Corn and Zucchini
I used trottole, a short, corkscrew pasta from the Campania region of Italy, but any spiral pasta will do.
4 ears sweet corn, husked
1½ tablespoons kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
4 tablespoons (½ stick) salted butter, divided
2 medium shallots, minced
1 seeded and stemmed hot red chile, minced
1 large or 2 small zucchini, cut into small cubes
12 ounces trotolle or other spiral pasta
Handful fresh basil leaves, sliced thin
½ cup sliced cherry or grape tomatoes
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Place a box grater in a large bowl or atop a pie plate. Using the large holes, grate the corn down to the cobs. Set aside cobs.
In a large pot, bring 2½ quarts water to a boil. Add reserved corn cobs and 1 tablespoon salt. Bring heat down to medium, cover pot and cook cobs for 10 minutes. Use tongs to remove and discard cobs. Remove pot from the heat but do not discard water.
In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add shallots, chile pepper, chopped zucchini and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add corn puree and cook, stirring, 5 minutes or until shallots soften and zucchini is tender.
Stir in 1½ cups corn-infused water. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, 15 minutes or until slightly thickened. A spoon should leave a brief trail when drawn through.
Meanwhile, bring water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup pasta water.
Add cooked pasta to skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 2 minutes or until pasta is coated and sauce is creamy. If pasta seems dry, add reserved cooking water 1 tablespoon or two at a time to adjust consistency.
Remove pasta from heat. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter, basil and halved tomatoes; toss gently until butter has melted.
Season to taste with salt and pepper, then serve.
Serves 4-6.
— Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette