Creamy Corn Cottage Cheese Pasta

1 Melt the butter in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Add the corn kernels and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the scallions, garlic, and several grinds black pepper. Cook, stirring, until the scallions have softened and the garlic is fragrant, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and let cool for 10 minutes (this will help prevent the cottage cheese from separating). 
2 While the corn is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1½ cups of pasta cooking water. Drain. 
3 Add the Parmesan and cottage cheese to the corn mixture. Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth, adding the reserved pasta water to thin it out as needed. (Alternatively, transfer the corn mixture to a blender and blend everything in there, then return to the pot). 
5 Stir in the lemon zest and red pepper flakes. Add the cooked pasta and stir to coat. Taste and season with more salt as needed. (If you need to warm it up, do so over low heat). 
4 Garnish with more thinly sliced scallions, if desired, and serve immediately.