Tortellini with corn makes a summery meal

By Jessica Rudolph, America’s Test Kitchen
Posted on June 27, 2025

Summer is here, and this pasta dish highlights some of the season’s best bounty.

Blending fresh basil into reduced cream with Parmesan makes a rich, savory, herbaceous sauce for tortellini, offsetting the sweetness of the fresh corn and mellowing the spice of a Fresno chile.

Tortellini with Corn and Basil Cream Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 (9-ounce) packages fresh cheese tortellini

¾ teaspoon table salt, divided, plus salt for cooking pasta

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 ears corn, kernels cut from cobs

1 shallot, chopped

1 red Fresno chile, sliced into thin rings

½ teaspoon pepper

1 cup heavy cream

½ cup fresh basil leaves, plus extra for serving

1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup), plus extra for serving

Directions:

Bring 4 quarts water to boil in a large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot.
Melt butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add corn, shallot, Fresno chile, pepper, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until vegetables are tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to pot with pasta.
Bring cream to simmer in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often, until reduced to ¾ cup, 3 to 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in basil. Transfer to a blender and blend with Parmesan and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt until smooth, about 1 minute.
Add sauce to pot with pasta and toss to combine. Adjust consistency with reserved cooking water as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve, topping portions with extra Parmesan and basil.

This recipe was previously published in Cook’s Illustrated. For 25 years, home cooks have relied on America’s Test Kitchen for rigorously tested recipes developed by professional test cooks and vetted by 60,000 at-home recipe testers. The family of brands — which includes Cook’s Illustrated and Cook’s Country — offers reliable recipes for cooks of all skill levels. See more online at americastestkitchen.com/TCA.