🔗 Share this article

The hard ends of Parmesan cheese represent the ultimate sustainable kitchen trick – like a cheesy stock cube, they enrich soups, sauces and various dishes, providing incredible taste in the form of umami depth and creamy texture. Kept in the fridge or icebox, they keep almost indefinitely. Today's culinary creation uses them in a budget-friendly, rich corn and pasta dish that transforms a few simple ingredients into comforting autumn fare.

Corn and Orzo Delight

The meal was a happy accident, and left me and my family drooling for more. I was planning a traditional tomato pasta to use up that half-bag in the cupboard remaining after making a cold pasta dish, but wanted something more seasonal. Fresh corn cobs are one of autumn’s fleeting treats, as short-lived as asparagus, and during their brief season I eat them weekly. In the spirit of this column, I believed it would be good to use the whole cob – not only the juicy seeds, but also the starchy, flavourful pulp and the used cores. The additional taste, combined with a cheese crust, onion, dairy spread and a splash of cream or water, turns a single cob into a hearty and very fulfilling meal for two people.

Serves 2 generously

• One ear of sweet corn
• 50 grams of butter
• One medium-sized onion, peeled and finely chopped
• Two cloves of garlic, skinned and coarsely cut
• 250g orzo
• 40-50g parmesan rind – grate off and reserve any remaining cheese
• 100 milliliters of heavy cream, optional
• Sea salt and ground pepper
• Extra-virgin olive oil, to finish

For maximum taste from the corn, place it upright, cut off the kernels in long strips, then break up the cobs by hand. After that, using a spoon, quickly scrape the starchy, milky pulp from the cobs into a container. Put the spent cobs in a pan with 750 milliliters of water, bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer, cover and allow to simmer slowly.

Melt the butter in a separate big skillet on a medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic, sauté softly, stirring, for about five minutes, until tender, then add the corn kernels and orzo, and cook for three more minutes. Add the parmesan rind, heavy cream, if preferred, and the saved corn residue, bring to a simmer and cook for two minutes, stirring to make sure the mix doesn’t catch and burn.

Strain the hot corn stock into the orzo pan, heat until boiling, then lower to a gentle boil and cook, mixing often, for about 7 minutes, until the orzo is al dente and the combination is smooth and fluid; include more water if needed. Adjust flavors with salt and pepper, and serve garnished with extra butter and a sprinkling of the saved shredded cheese.