Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

If you’re looking to add a burst of flavor to your next meal, look no further than Street Corn Pasta Salad! This vibrant and zesty dish combines the classic flavors of Mexican street corn, or Elote, with the comfort of pasta salad, creating a dish that’s perfect for any occasion. I love making a big batch and eating it all week. However, whether you’re hosting a backyard barbecue or simply looking for a delicious side dish, this Street Corn Pasta Salad is sure to be a hit with your taste buds.

Serve it with Summer Fruit Salad and Grilled Skirt Steak for the perfect meal.

Why Street Corn Pasta Salad is Great

Bursting with Flavor: The combination of sweet corn, tangy lime, creamy mayo, and spicy jalapenos creates a symphony of flavors that will delight taste buds all summer long.
Versatile: Serve it as a side dish or add protein like grilled chicken or shrimp to make it a complete meal. Or serve it as is as a vegetarian option.
Easy to Make: With simple ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions, this pasta salad comes together in no time. It really doesn’t get easier.
Crowd Pleaser: Whether you’re serving it at a potluck or a family dinner, this dish is sure to make everyone happy.

What Is Mexican Street Corn?

Mexican street corn, or elote, is a popular street food in Mexico. It consists of grilled corn on the cob slathered with a mixture of mayonnaise, sour cream, cotija cheese, chili powder, and lime juice.

We take this fun flavorful side, and turn it into a pasta salad.

A creamy and delicious pasta salad. Street corn pasta salad is made with al dente pasta, sweet corn, spicy jalapenos, herbacious cilantro, flavorful red onion, cheddar cheese, and a creamy dressing sure to be reminiscent of the Mexican classic dish Elote, makes this a crave worthy pasta salad you will want to eat all summer long.

Serving Suggestions

Eat on its own as a complete meal. You can even add in Roast Chicken or Shrimp to add some protein to it.
Serve as a side dish at your next barbecue or picnic. Whether you make Sirloin Steak or Classic Ribeye or Oven Fried Chicken this corn salad will be a delightful addition to your meal.
Pair with Protein that your grill. I suggest grilled chicken or steak like this 10 Garlic Clove Marinated Grilled Filet for a complete meal.
Have a Mexican inspired feast. Serve alongside tacos or fajitas for a Mexican-inspired feast.

What Pasta to Use

For this Street Corn Pasta Salad, we recommend using a short pasta shape like fusilli or rotini. These shapes are great for holding onto the creamy dressing and mix-ins.

Other pasta shapes that would work include:

What to Use to Make Street Corn Pasta Salad

16 oz short pasta of choice, rotini or fusilli
2 cups corn kernels, fresh or canned
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
1 cup cheddar cheese chunks

Dressing

3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup cotija cheese, crumbled
1 1/2 limes, juiced
1/2 Tablespoon chili powder or Tajin
Salt and pepper to taste

How to Make Street Corn Pasta Salad

Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Tip: Use salted water for more flavorful pasta.
In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, corn kernels, jalapeno, cilantro, red onion, and cheddar cheese.
In a separate bowl, mix together the dressing by combining mayonnaise, sour cream, cotija cheese, lime juice, chili powder or tajin, salt, and pepper.
Stir the dressing into the pasta mixture until everything is well coated.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to allow the flavors to meld together.

How to Store

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

You can not freeze this recipe.

FAQs:

Q: Can I use frozen corn?
A: Yes, you can use thawed frozen corn instead of fresh or canned corn.
Q: Can I make this ahead of time?
A: Yes, this pasta salad can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Not feeling pasta salad? Try this Berry Feta Spinach Salad or this Corn Salad!

Street Corn Pasta Salad is a delicious and flavorful dish that’s perfect for any occasion. Whether you’re serving it at a barbecue, picnic, or family dinner, this dish is sure to be a hit. With its vibrant flavors and easy preparation, this Street Corn Pasta Salad is a must-try recipe that will have everyone coming back for more.

More Delightful Pasta Salad

Street Corn Pasta Salad

A creamy and delicious street corn pasta salad. Al dente pasta, sweet corn, spicy jalapenos, flavorful red onion, and a creamy dressing sure to be reminiscent of the Mexican classic dish Elote, makes this a crave worthy pasta salad you will want to eat all summer long.

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Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: elote, Mexican Street Corn, pasta salad, street corn pasta salad

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 11

Total Time: 21

Servings:

Calories: 649kcal

Ingredients

16 oz Fusilli rotini or short pasta of choice
2 cups corn kernels fresh, frozen, or canned
1 jalapeno seeded and diced
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped fine
1/4 cup red onion finely diced
1 cup cheddar cheese chunks

Dressing

3/4 cup mayonnaise 1 cup if you like it extra saucy
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup cotija cheese crumbled, or up to 1/2 a cup
1 1/2 limes juiced
1/2 Tablespoon chili powder or Tajin
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Tip: Use salted water for more flavorful pasta.
In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, corn kernels, jalapeno, cilantro, red onion, and cheddar cheese.
In a separate bowl, mix together the dressing by combining mayonnaise, sour cream, cotija cheese, lime juice, chili powder or tajin, salt, and pepper.
Stir the dressing into the pasta mixture until everything is well coated.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to allow the flavors to meld together.

Notes

Use salted water for cooking the pasta in order to get more flavorful pasta.

Use whatever kind of short pasta you desire.

Use chili powder for a traditional flavor profile, or Tajin for extra flavor.

To refresh pasta, squeeze extra lime juice over the top, or mix in more sour cream and mayo to make it saucy again.

For a deeper corn flavor, consider cooking corn in a skillet with 1 tbsp of butter until starting to brown, and caramelize. Then add to pasta salad.

Nutrition

Our recipe card software calculates these nutrition facts based on averages for the above ingredients, different brands, and quality of produce/meats may have different nutritional information, always calculate your own based on the specific products you use in order to achieve accurate macros for this recipe.

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Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad