Buttered Corn & Basil Cappelletti

For the filling...

3 ears of corn (~1½ cups corn kernels, cobs reserved)

6 tablespoons butter

½+ teaspoon chili powder

1 bunch basil (a very large handful)

½ cup whole milk ricotta

A generous grating of parmigiano reggiano

Salt, pepper, and a bit of lemon juice to taste

Cut the kernels from the ears of corn into a bowl and reserve the cobs. Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. As it starts to brown, add the corn and cook, stirring frequently, until tender and moisture evaporates, about 10 minutes. Add the chili powder and cook another minute. Season to taste with salt, maybe a little more chili powder, and cool completely. Reserve ~½ cup of the kernels for finishing the dish.

Bring a small pot of water to a boil and blanch the basil for 10-20 seconds until vibrant in color. Drain immediately and shock under cold water to stop the cooking. Pat dry on a paper-towel lined tray.

Combine corn, basil, and cheeses in a food processor. Pulse until thick and as smooth as possible (bits of corn will remain intact). Season to taste and refrigerate until ready to use.

For the cappelletti...

Make a 300g or 350g batch of egg pasta dough (see this post for my go-to recipe; if making a larger batch, you may need to increase the amount of filling). Allow it to rest, tightly wrapped, at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Roll a portion of the dough into a thin sheet, setting 6 or 7 on the Marcato Atlas 150 or KitchenAid. Cut out circles of desired size (mine were about 2.5 inches) and add a dollop of filling to the center, about a teaspoon, making sure there’s a solid rim of dough around it to prevent bursting.

Fold the circle in half over the filling to create a half-moon, making sure to press out any air pockets and seal firmly. Make an indentation in the bottom center of the filling with the side of your finger, then bring the bottom two corners around in a circular motion toward the front and pinch firmly to seal. The cappelletti should stand up on their own. Repeat, repeat, repeat!

For the corn broth...

3 corn cobs, reserved from the filling

1-2 parmigiano reggiano rinds

1 yellow onion, halved, skin on

A handful of garlic cloves, peeled

Add all aromatics to a large stock pot and fill with water to cover by about an inch. Simmer over medium-low heat until reduced by about half, about 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Strain the broth, transfer to a smaller sauce pot, and season to taste with salt (this should yield about 1.5 quarts; I stored about half for future use). Add a few spoonfuls of the reserved buttered corn kernels (from the filling) to the broth and keep warm over low heat.

Finishing touches...

Partially cook cappelletti in well-salted water, about 2 minutes. Transfer directly to the broth with a slotted spoon and finish cooking, 1-2 minutes more. Divide into serving bowls and top with thinly sliced serrano peppers (if desired), mint, and more buttered corn. Enjoy!