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The hard ends of Parmesan cheese are the best zero-waste hack – like a cheesy stock cube, they enhance soups, gravies and all sorts, adding pure deliciousness in the form of umami depth and smooth consistency. Kept in the refrigerator or freezer, they keep almost indefinitely. This week’s recipe incorporates them in a thrifty, creamy corn orzo that converts a handful of basic items into cozy fall food.

Creamed Corn Orzo

The meal was a happy accident, and had everyone asking for seconds. Originally, the idea was a traditional tomato pasta to finish the remaining portion in the pantry left over from making a cold pasta dish, but wanted something more seasonal. Sweet corn on the cob are one of fall's short-lived pleasures, similar to asparagus in seasonality, and while they are available I eat them weekly. In the spirit of this column, I believed it would be beneficial to utilize the entire corn – not just the sweet kernels, but also the starchy, flavourful pulp and the used cores. That extra flavour, paired with a cheese crust, onion, dairy spread and a dash of cream or liquid, transforms a one ear of corn into a hearty and deeply satisfying meal for two people.

Serves 2 generously

• 1 fresh corn cob
• 50g butter
• One medium-sized onion, skinned and diced
• Two cloves of garlic, skinned and coarsely cut
• 250g orzo
• 40 to 50 grams of Parmesan crust – grate off and reserve any remaining cheese
• 100 milliliters of heavy cream, if desired
• 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. Next, using a spoon, quickly scrape the thick, creamy residue from the cobs into a bowl. Place the used cobs in a pot with 750 milliliters of water, bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer, put a lid on and allow to simmer slowly.

Heat the butter in a second large pan on a moderate flame. Put in the onion and garlic, cook gently, mixing, for about 5 minutes, until tender, then add the corn kernels and orzo, and saute for three minutes. Introduce the cheese rind, heavy cream, if preferred, and the reserved corn pulp, heat until bubbling and simmer for two minutes, stirring to make sure the mix doesn’t catch and burn.

Drain the warm corn broth into the pasta pot, bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and simmer, mixing often, for about seven minutes, until the pasta is firm to the bite and the mixture is loose and creamy; include more water if needed. Season to taste, and serve topped with extra butter and a sprinkling of the reserved grated parmesan.