Kernel Crazy

Peak-season corn builds layers of flavor in this cheesy skillet lasagna.

- RECIPE FROM OCTAVIA San Francisco, ANDEE GOSNELL

THE SWEET CORN LASAGNA at San Francisco restaurant Octavia is a master class in getting the most out of summer corn. Fresh kernels are combined with a thick and creamy corn pudding, which is made from cooked corn milk (a sweet and starchy liquid from the cob that thickens and adds an intense corn flavor), and then layered with housemade lasagna sheets. It’s an intricate and delicious dish that uses “every consumable part” of an ear of corn, says Octavia chef-owner Melissa Perello. Our simplified skillet lasagna—adapted to be achievable at home—stays true to that use-it-all ethos. After the kernels are cut off, a quick scrape down the cob with the back of a knife releases the corn milk that will thicken the creamy lasagna sauce. Broken pieces of store-bought dried lasagna noodles simmer directly in the sauce (saving a pot of boiling water) to make a simple yet sensational dish that’s a culmination of everything wonderful about corn in the summer.

Skillet Corn Lasagna

ACTIVE 40 MIN; TOTAL 55 MIN; SERVES 6