Elote Street Corn Pasta Salad (Printer-friendly)
Smoky grilled corn pasta with creamy chili-lime dressing, cotija cheese, and fresh summer vegetables.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 12 oz short pasta (rotini or fusilli)
→ Vegetables
02 - 2 cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen; about 3 ears fresh corn)
03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - ½ cup red onion, finely diced
05 - ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
06 - 1 medium jalapeño, seeded and finely diced (optional)
→ Dressing
07 - ⅓ cup mayonnaise
08 - ⅓ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
09 - 2 tbsp lime juice (about 1 lime)
10 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
11 - 1 tsp chili powder
12 - ¾ tsp kosher salt
13 - ½ tsp black pepper
→ Cheese
14 - ⅔ cup cotija cheese, crumbled (or feta as alternative)
→ Garnishes
15 - 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
16 - 1 lime, cut into wedges
# How to Make It:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, rinse under cold water to stop cooking, and set aside to cool completely.
02 - Heat a grill or cast-iron skillet over high heat. Grill or char the corn ears until lightly blackened on all sides, about 5–7 minutes. Cut kernels off the cob. If using frozen corn, thaw and pan-sear briefly to develop a smoky char.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, charred corn kernels, halved cherry tomatoes, diced red onion, chopped cilantro, and diced jalapeño. Toss gently to distribute evenly.
04 - In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream (or Greek yogurt), lime juice, smoked paprika, chili powder, kosher salt, and black pepper until smooth and well blended.
05 - Pour the prepared dressing over the pasta and vegetable mixture. Toss gently until all ingredients are evenly coated.
06 - Add crumbled cotija cheese to the salad and fold in gently to incorporate without breaking down the cheese crumbles.
07 - Transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with additional chopped cilantro and lime wedges. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The smoky, creamy, tangy combination hits every flavor note you want in a summer side dish.
- It comes together in about half an hour with almost zero cooking stress.
- Crowds always ask for the recipe, and you will feel a little smug handing it over.
02 -
- Rinsing the pasta under cold water is essential here because warm pasta will melt the dressing into a greasy mess.
- Do not skip charring the corn, because that single step is what separates this from an ordinary pasta salad and makes it taste like true elote.
03 -
- Taste the dressing on its own before mixing it in, because a bland dressing means a bland salad no matter how good your corn is.
- Let the corn get genuinely blackened in spots, because the char is not a mistake, it is the entire point of the dish and the source of that smoky elote flavor.