Elote Pasta Salad (Printable Version)
Creamy Mexican street corn meets pasta in this tangy, cheesy salad with lime and chili-spiced dressing.
# What You Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 8 ounces short pasta (rotini, penne, or fusilli)
→ Elote Dressing
02 - 1/4 cup mayonnaise
03 - 1/4 cup sour cream
04 - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
05 - 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
06 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
07 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
08 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
09 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
→ Vegetables & Add-ins
10 - 2 cups cooked corn kernels (fresh, grilled, or canned; about 3 ears)
11 - 1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese (or feta if unavailable)
12 - 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
13 - 1/4 cup diced red onion
14 - 1 small jalapeño, seeded and finely diced (optional)
→ Garnish
15 - Additional cotija cheese
16 - Extra chopped cilantro
17 - Lime wedges
# How To Make It:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside and let cool completely.
02 - While the pasta cools, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, kosher salt, and black pepper in a large mixing bowl until smooth and well combined.
03 - Add the cooled pasta, cooked corn kernels, crumbled cotija cheese, chopped cilantro, diced red onion, and jalapeño to the bowl with the dressing. Gently toss until everything is evenly coated.
04 - Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt or spices as needed. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
05 - Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with extra crumbled cotija cheese, additional chopped cilantro, and lime wedges on the side.
# Helpful Hints:
01 -
- It captures every messy, smoky bite of street corn but in fork friendly pasta form that travels to any cookout.
- The creamy tangy dressing comes together in about two minutes and tastes like you spent much longer.
02 -
- Do not skip rinsing the pasta because residual heat will melt the dressing into a greasy puddle before it ever reaches the table.
- If you chill it overnight, stir in an extra squeeze of lime and a spoonful of sour cream right before serving since the pasta absorbs liquid like a sponge.
03 -
- Toast your cumin in a dry skillet for thirty seconds before adding it to the dressing and the entire bowl will suddenly taste deeper and more complex.
- Grill the corn directly on the cob with the husk peeled back, then cut the kernels off for those gorgeous char marks that make people ask what your secret is.