Elote Street Corn Pasta (Printable)
Smoky grilled corn pasta with creamy lime dressing, cotija cheese, and bold Mexican spices for summer cookouts.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 12 oz short pasta such as 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 fresh 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 (feta may be substituted)
→ Garnishes
15 - 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
16 - 1 lime, cut into wedges
# Directions:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the short pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain thoroughly, rinse under cold running water to halt cooking, and set aside to cool completely.
02 - If using fresh corn, grill or sear the ears on a hot skillet or grill, turning occasionally, until lightly blackened and smoky, about 5 to 7 minutes. Cut the kernels from the cobs. If using frozen corn, thaw completely and pan-sear in a hot skillet with a light drizzle of oil until golden and lightly charred.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, charred corn kernels, halved cherry tomatoes, diced red onion, chopped cilantro, and jalapeño if using. Toss gently to distribute evenly.
04 - In a separate small bowl, whisk together the 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 but thoroughly, ensuring every component is evenly coated.
06 - Add the crumbled cotija cheese to the dressed salad and fold in gently to incorporate without breaking the cheese into fine crumbs.
07 - Transfer the salad to a serving bowl. Scatter additional chopped cilantro over the top and arrange lime wedges around the edges. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The dressing doubles as a marinade, so even leftover pasta tastes incredible the next day straight from the fridge.
- You can throw it together with frozen corn and pantry staples when summer produce is not around.
02 -
- Rinsing the pasta is essential here because residual heat will continue cooking it and turn your salad into mush.
- The salad tastes best after resting in the fridge for at least an hour, which gives the dressing time to soak into every spiral.
03 -
- Toast the chili powder in a dry pan for thirty seconds before making the dressing to wake up the essential oils and deepen the flavor.
- Save a tablespoon of pasta water and mix it into the dressing if it feels too thick after chilling.