Don't Throw Away Your Parmigiano Crust – It Is a Superb Stock Cube – Recipe

The hard ends of Parmesan cheese are the best zero-waste hack – like a cheesy stock cube, they enhance stews, gravies and all sorts, providing pure deliciousness in the form of savory richness and smooth consistency. Kept in the refrigerator or freezer, they keep almost indefinitely. This week’s recipe uses them in a budget-friendly, creamy corn orzo that converts a few simple ingredients into comforting autumn fare.

Creamed Corn Orzo

The meal came about by chance, and left me and my family drooling for more. I was planning a traditional tomato pasta to use up that half-bag in the pantry left over from making a pasta salad, but wanted something more seasonal. Fresh corn cobs are one of fall's short-lived pleasures, similar to asparagus in seasonality, and during their brief season I eat them weekly. Following this approach, I thought it would be beneficial to utilize the entire corn – not just the sweet kernels, but also the starchy, flavourful pulp and the spent cobs. The additional taste, combined with a cheese crust, onion, dairy spread and a dash of cream or liquid, turns a single cob into a hearty and very fulfilling dish for two.

Serves 2 generously

• One ear of sweet corn
• 50 grams of butter
• One medium-sized onion, skinned and diced
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
• 250 grams of orzo pasta
• 40 to 50 grams of Parmesan crust – shred and save leftover cheese
• 100 milliliters of heavy cream, if desired
• Salt and black pepper
• High-quality olive oil, to finish

To get the most flavour from your corn cob, place it upright, slice off the kernels lengthwise, then separate the cobs manually. After that, with 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, heat until boiling, then turn down to a simmer, put a lid on and leave to cook on a low heat.

Heat the butter in a second large pan on a medium-low heat. Put in the onion and garlic, cook gently, mixing, for about five minutes, until soft, then include the corn and pasta, and cook for three more minutes. Add the parmesan rind, double cream, if using, and the saved corn residue, heat until bubbling and cook for two minutes, stirring to make sure the mix doesn’t catch and burn.

Drain the warm corn broth into the orzo pan, bring to a boil, then lower to a gentle boil and cook, mixing often, for about seven 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 dish up garnished with extra butter and a sprinkling of the saved shredded cheese.