Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
This Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad turns everything you love about elote – grilled corn, lime, cotija, and chipotle – into an easy, creamy pasta salad. My elote pasta salad is perfect for potlucks, simple as a weeknight side dish, and completely avoids getting mayo and crema inevitably smeared on your nose.
So read on for all the tips and tricks for turning my favorite Mexican street food into a corn pasta salad I want to snack on all day long. Or just grab your corn, hit that purple Jump to Recipe button, and let’s make this Mexican street corn pasta salad recipe!
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Ingredients
If you know elote, you’ll recognize familiar ingredients in this elote pasta salad:
- Corn – use fresh or frozen, whichever is available. If you’re like me, you always have a bag of frozen corn, because I always want to be ready to make my cast iron skillet cornbread.
- Cotija is the classic cheese for elote, but you can sub another salty cheese like feta or even Parmesan if you can’t find cotija.
- The creamy sauce for this Mexican street corn pasta salad is similar to my sumac sauce except with lime and chipotle instead of lemon and sumac. The teaspoon of chipotle powder gives this elote salad just a touch of heat.
- I think the best shape for this corn pasta salad is orecchiette; corn kernels and cotija nestle into the concavity. Use small shells as next best alternative.
Please see the recipe card below for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations and substitutions
- Add chopped cilantro or other greens.
- Add pulled chicken for a more substantial street corn chicken pasta salad.
Recipe tips and tricks
All of the preparatory steps can be done simultaneously. And the thing that takes the longest amount of time is getting the pasta water to boil and letting everything cool!
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt, and cook the orecchiette until al dente. Drain and set aside to cool.
Charring the corn can be done in a bunch of different ways – the main thing is to brown the corn quickly so the kernels don’t dry out and get tough. You can grill corn on the cob. You can broil corn kernels in a single layer (stirring once or twice) right under the broiler. Or use the largest cast iron skillet you own and cook defrosted and dry kernels over medium-high heat until lightly charred.
To make the dressing, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, garlic, chipotle powder, sugar, salt, and pepper until smooth. Taste, adjust for flavor, and thicken or thin out with more mayo or lime juice.
When the pasta and corn have cooled, toss everything together in a large bowl. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to one day for best flavor – just take it out at least 30 minutes before serving to clear the chill.
Recipe FAQs
I’d go for a simple meat, grilled shrimp, or my cast iron chicken breasts. It’s also great as a side for barbecue like my BBQ chicken meatballs or pulled pork made from braised boneless country style ribs.
Yes! You can serve warm if you mix it soon after cooking the pasta and corn. The cotija won’t melt, but don’t serve this elote pasta salad so hot that you wilt the green onions or curdle the sauce!
Related pasta salad recipes
Check out the pasta salads and slaws from the Ugly Duckling Bakery archives like:
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Recipe
Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups (227 grams) dried orecchiette or small shells
- 1 pound (450 grams) corn kernels or two cobs
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons sour cream or Mexican crema
- 3 tablespoons lime juice from about 1 lime
- 1 clove garlic grated or minced
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ cup (170 grams) cotija crumbled or chopped into ¼ to ½ inch cubes
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro optional garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot to a boil, generously salt the water, and cook the orecchiette until al dente. Drain and set aside.2 cups (227 grams) dried orecchiette
- The easiest way to char the corn is to broil the kernels right under the broiler until browned, stirring once or twice.1 pound (450 grams) corn kernels
- To make the dressing, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, garlic, chipotle powder, sugar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired.2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons sour cream, 3 tablespoons lime juice, 1 clove garlic, 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder, ½ teaspoon sugar, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- When the pasta and corn have cooled to warm room temperature, add the, pasta, corn kernels, cotija, and sliced green onions to the dressing and toss until evenly coated. Garnish with cilantro, if desired.¾ cup (170 grams) cotija, 2 green onions, ¼ cup chopped cilantro
Notes
Nutrition
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