Street Corn Pasta Salad (Printable View)
Smoky charred corn and tender pasta tossed in a chili-lime mayo with Cotija and cilantro—bright, creamy, and picnic-ready.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 12 oz short pasta such as penne, fusilli, or rotini
→ Vegetables
02 - 4 ears fresh corn, shucked or 3 cups frozen corn, thawed
03 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
04 - 2 green onions, sliced
05 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
→ Dressing
06 - 1/3 cup mayonnaise
07 - 1/3 cup sour cream
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
09 - 1 teaspoon chili powder
10 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
11 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
12 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
13 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
→ Cheese & Extras
14 - 3.5 oz Cotija cheese, crumbled or feta as substitute
15 - 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced (optional)
# How-To Steps:
01 - Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Set aside.
02 - Grill corn on a preheated grill or grill pan, turning occasionally, until lightly charred on all sides, about 8–10 minutes. Allow to cool, then slice kernels from cobs. For frozen corn, sauté in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until lightly charred.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, chili powder, smoked paprika, ground cumin, salt, and black pepper until smooth.
04 - Add cooked pasta, charred corn, diced red bell pepper, sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, crumbled Cotija cheese, and diced jalapeño if using into the bowl. Toss gently until evenly coated with dressing.
05 - Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes prior to serving to enhance flavors.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- You get all the irresistible flavors of classic elote—smoky, tangy, and a bit spicy—in one bowl, and it never fails to impress at gatherings.
- Leftovers somehow taste even bolder the next day, making it secretly perfect for meal prep.
02 -
- Rushing the chilling step once led me to serve a salad that tasted bland—those thirty minutes really do make all the flavors sing.
- Swapping fresh lime for bottled was my shortcut once, but it’s simply not the same—the bright citrusy aroma is missing.
03 -
- If you slightly undercook your pasta, it’ll hold up better after soaking in the dressing.
- Whisking the dressing until ultra smooth prevents it from clumping on the noodles and helps achieve that creamy coating in every bite.