Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad Recipe
This Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad is packed with the vibrant flavors of fresh summer corn, jalapenos, red onion, and a creamy chili lime dressing. Ready in just 30 minutes, it's the ideal dish for feeding a crowd!
Ingredients
For The Corn:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or melted butter
- 6 ears corn, – Husks removed – approximately 4 ½ to 5 cups of corn kernels or frozen or canned corn
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Pasta:
- 8 oz. dry uncooked pasta, such as fusilli and farfalle (bowtie pasta)
For The Creamy Dressing:
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons sour cream, or Mexican crema
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon lime zest, from one lime (optional)
- ¼ cup lime juice freshly squeezed, from 1 ½ to 2 limes
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
For The Salad:
- 2 medium jalapeno , seeded and sliced/chopped
- ½ cup red onion, chopped finely
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro , chopped – more to use as garnish
- ½ cup cotija cheese , crumbled
Instructions
- When it comes to cooking the corn, you have two options:
- Grill Corn: Heat a gas grill to 400 degrees F. Peel back the husks of the corn and remove the silk. Brush them with the oil on all sides. Place them on the grill and cook for about 15-20 minutes, until lightly charred, turning them every 5 minutes to ensure even cooking. Let it cool for a few minutes, and then cut the corn kernels from the cob using a sharp knife
- Cook it in a skillet: Heat a tablespoon of olive oil (or butter) in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Using a sharp knife, remove the corn kernels from the cob. Transfer them to the skillet and cook for 8-10 minutes or until slightly caramelized and charred in spots.
- Cook the pasta: While the corn is cooling, season a big pot of water with a generous amount of salt and bring it to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, following the package instructions. Drain and set aside. Transfer the now-cooked pasta to a large bowl.
- Add the now-cooked corn into the same bowl.
- Make the Mexican Corn Dressing (Chili Lime Dressing): In a small bowl, whisk together mayo, sour cream, chili powder, lime juice, lime zest, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary, keeping in mind that the cotija cheese for garnish is slightly salty.
- Assemble the roasted corn pasta salad: Drizzle the dressing over the corn and pasta and toss to ensure they are evenly coated. Add in the jalapenos, onion, and cilantro. Stir to combine and garnish with chopped cilantro, if using. Taste your elote corn pasta salad for seasoning and add more if necessary.
Nutrition
Calories: 353kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 10gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 605mgPotassium: 386mgFiber: 3gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 403IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 81mgIron: 1mg
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