Kitchen Little Essentials
To make this Sweet Corn and Poblano Lasagna, you will need:
I’ve been making this Sweet Corn and Poblano Lasagna for, oh I dunno, maybe 12 years or so? Maybe 10 … it’s been in the rotation for a long time. It’s a riff on an old Marcela Valladolid recipe that I saw on the Food Network that long ago, and since she was saying that it was the best thing she’d ever made – I felt the need to give it a go.
This version that I’m sharing today is an adaptation of hers, with a few changes. It’s such a gorgeous recipe for summer, as it celebrates corn and summer squash, and it’s easy to assemble. We’ll just whip up a garlicky, buttery corn cream (yessss) and use that as the binding component for the whole thing. Honestly, when I saw that corn cream on TV I was hooked immediately – it’s really, really good.
How to make this Sweet Corn and Poblano Lasagna
Here’s the step-by-step:
Preheat your broiler. Adjust the rack to the upper position
Place your poblanos on a large baking sheet and set them under the broiler, broiling them on each side until charred and blackened; about 3 to 4 minutes per side (just keep an eye on them). Turn them every few minutes to ensure even charring.
When they’re sufficiently charred, remove the tray from the oven and place a kitchen towel over the peppers. Let them sit and steam for at least five minutes, as the steam will loosen the charred skin, making it really easy to peel. After 5 minutes, peel off the charred skin, remove the stems and seeds from each pepper, and slice into ½-inch wide strips. Set aside for now.
Meanwhile, set a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 TBSP butter. Cook the zucchini until tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate or dish and set aside for now.
To the skillet, add another 2 TBSP butter, the onion, garlic, corn, thyme, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion has softened; about 10 minutes. Add the half and half, allow it to heat through, and then transfer the mixture to a blender. Blend until somewhat smooth – it doesn’t need to be a perfectly smooth puree. Just pourable.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust the rack to the middle position.
To assemble the lasagna, pour about ¼ of the corn cream into the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Top with some of the lasagna noodles, followed by a layer of poblanos, zucchini, and then cheese. Repeat these layers until you get to the top of the dish, finishing with lots of extra cheese. Sprinkle with some cotija or feta, if you like.
Cover the pan with foil. Bake for 50 minutes. Remove the foil and then bake for an additional 10 minutes, until golden brown and crusty on top. Let the lasagna cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
I think it’s probably worth nothing here that, as with just about any lasagna recipe you will ever make, the amounts of each individual ingredient are really up for some tweaking. You should add things to taste – to suit your preferences. If you don’t like thyme or maybe have so fresh oregano instead – use that. Basil would be wonderful in here as well. If you want a thinner corn cream, decrease the amount of corn that you use – it’s fine – no harm, no foul.
That’s what I love about recipes like this. As long as you stick to the general structure of the recipe, the specific twists and turns are pretty up for the riffing. It’s fun cooking, you know? Truth be told, I’ve even made this with Swiss cheese and provolone and it was just as good. Its almost more of a ratio situation than anything else:
Corn cream + pasta + lots and lots of cheese + summery veggies + spicy something
Wanna throw some mushrooms in there, instead of the squash? Cool. Do it. Have some tortillas that need to find a home before they totally die? Nice! Swap those in for the lasagna. This is easy-does-it cooking, and even if you veer dramatically from my core recipe here, I have a feeling that you’ll end up in a delicious destination all the same.
Enjoy this one, guys. And as always, let me know on social media if you whip it up! I love seeing what you make – it’s why I’m here each day. xx
If you like the looks of this Sweet Corn and Poblano Lasagna, you might want to check out:
Smoky Skillet Corn Pudding with Candied Jalapeños
Corn in a Salted Honey Butter Bath
Sweet Corn and Poblano Lasagna
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
4 poblano peppers
3 TBSP butter, divided
1 small sweet onion, slicedÂ
2 garlic cloves, chopped
5 cups frozen or fresh sweet corn kernels
2.5 cups half and half
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 zucchini, sliced into thin rounds
1 package no-boil lasagna noodles (enough for a 9-by-13-inch pan)
6 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (give or take – use as much as you like)
Cotija cheese or feta, optional
Instructions
- Preheat your broiler. Adjust the rack to the upper position.
- Place your poblanos on a large baking sheet and set them under the broiler, broiling them on each side until charred and blackened; about 3 to 4 minutes per side (just keep an eye on them). Turn them every few minutes to ensure even charring.Â
- When they’re sufficiently charred, remove the tray from the oven and place a kitchen towel over the peppers. Let them sit and steam for at least five minutes, as the steam will loosen the charred skin, making it really easy to peel. After 5 minutes, peel off the charred skin, remove the stems and seeds from each pepper, and slice into ½-inch wide strips. Set aside for now.Â
- Meanwhile, set a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 TBSP butter. Cook the zucchini until tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate or dish and set aside for now.Â
- To the skillet, add another 2 TBSP butter, the onion, garlic, corn, thyme, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion has softened; about 10 minutes. Add the half and half, allow it to heat through, and then transfer the mixture to a blender. Blend until somewhat smooth – it doesn’t need to be a perfectly smooth puree. Just pourable. If you need to add more half and half (or milk) if it seems really thick, that’s fine. You’re shooting for a marinara sauce consistency here. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed (this really seasons the whole dish, so don’t be shy!)
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust the rack to the middle position.
- To assemble the lasagna, pour about ¼ of the corn cream into the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Top with some of the lasagna noodles, followed by a layer of poblanos, zucchini, and then cheese. Repeat these layers until you get to the top of the dish, finishing with lots of extra cheese. Sprinkle with some cotija or feta, if you like.Â
- Cover the pan with foil. Bake for 50 minutes. Remove the foil and then bake for an additional 10 minutes, until golden brown and crusty on top. I often use the broiler to do this part, actually. Let the lasagna cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.Â
