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Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

Mexican street corn pasta salad with charred corn, crunchy peppers, and a creamy cilantro-lime dressing. Elote-inspired flavors get even better after chilling for a couple hours.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican-American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

rotini or shells pasta
  • 1 lb rotini or shells pasta Use about 1 lb dry pasta.
corn kernels, charred
  • 5 cup corn kernels, charred Char for smoky elote-style flavor.
red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
jalapeño, diced
  • 1 jalapeño, diced Reduce amount for milder heat.
red onion, diced
  • 0.5 cup red onion, diced
mayonnaise
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
sour cream
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
lime juice
  • 0.33 cup lime juice Fresh is best.
chili powder
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
cumin
  • 1 tsp cumin
garlic powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
cotija cheese, crumbled
  • 1 cup cotija cheese, crumbled Sprinkle on top right before serving.
cilantro, chopped
  • 0.25 cup cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste Season the dressing to taste.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook the pasta
  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook rotini or shells pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Char the corn
  1. Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat and char corn kernels, charred until lightly blackened, shaking the pan as needed. Transfer to a tray to cool slightly.
Make the cilantro-lime dressing
  1. Whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Assemble and chill
  1. Combine pasta, charred corn kernels, red bell pepper, jalapeño, and red onion in a large bowl. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat thoroughly.
  2. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to let flavors meld. Before serving, top with cotija cheese and cilantro.

Notes

For best char, dry the corn kernels well before they hit the hot skillet so they blacken instead of steaming. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; the flavors deepen as it chills, but keep cilantro and cotija for serving. Freezing is not recommended since the creamy dressing can separate. For a lighter option, use light mayonnaise and reduced-fat sour cream while keeping the same lime and spice profile.