Street Corn Pasta Salad is the perfect summer side for fiestas and backyard barbecues. An easy Mexican street corn recipe with pasta mixed in a tangy, spicy, and deliciously creamy dressing.
Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad is so much more than macaroni doused in mayo! Full of fresh street corn flavor, this smoky, spicy roasted corn pasta salad recipe makes a big bowl of “off the cob” elotes and smothers it in a lime-infused creamy dressing.
Street Corn Pasta Salad Recipe
This zesty, bold, and somewhat spicy Mexican street corn pasta recipe is filled with the complex tastes and textures of roasted corn, jalapenos, onions, cilantro and Cotija cheese, and rotini, all coated in a delicious, creamy dressing with a kick.
Our easy Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad recipe takes all of the fresh, south-of-the-border flavors found in my Mexican Street Corn Dip and Mexican Street Corn Salad and pairs them with pasta, like my Mexican Pasta Salad.
What Is Mexican Street Corn (aka Elote)
Sometimes served as corn on the cob, other times served as a corn salad, Mexican street corn is a dish made with cooked sweet corn that has been coated in mayo and Mexican Crema, rolled in Cotija cheese and then seasoned with spices and fresh cilantro.
Ingredient Notes
- Rotini pasta: You can swap the rotini for rigatoni, elbows, shells, bowties, or any short pasta shape.
- Mayonnaise
- Sour cream
- Fresh lime juice
- Salt
- Smoked paprika
- Chili powder
- Ground cumin
- Black pepper
- Chipotle chile powder: Chipotle chile powder is very spicy as well but also adds great depth of flavor. I suggest starting off with the ⅛ teaspoon, taste, then adjust with more if desired.
- Olive oil
- Yellow sweet corn: You can use frozen corn, canned corn, or grilled corn. (The grilled corn in the frozen food section at Trader Joe’s works great!) If you use fresh corn, it may need a little longer to cook and soften in the skillet.
- Green onions
- Jalapeno pepper: If you enjoy a little extra “heat,” you can leave the seeds and membrane in the jalapeno pepper when dicing. You can substitute a serrano pepper (spicier than a jalapeno pepper) for extra heat and flavor as well. A poblano pepper will be a milder pepper if used.
- Fresh cilantro
- Cotija cheese: If you cannot find cotija cheese, try substituting it for queso fresco cheese, feta, goat, or another crumbly cheese.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Street Corn Pasta Salad
- Prepare The Pasta: Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside to cool.
- Make The Dressing: Whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, salt, paprika, chili powder, ground cumin, pepper, and chipotle chile powder.
- Cook The Corn: Cook the olive oil, corn, onions, and jalapeño pepper until the kernels become brown.
- Combine The Contents: Stir together the pasta, corn mixture, dressing, onions, cilantro, and cotija cheese.
- Serve: Garnish with cotija cheese crumbles and fresh chopped cilantro. Serving and enjoy!
Tips & Variations
- You can add some grilled chicken, steak, shrimp, or tofu to the salad for additional protein. You could also add black beans, pinto beans, or kidney beans if you prefer to add more protein without meat.
- If you plan on serving your pasta salad chilled, you may want to reserve ½ cup of the sauce to drizzle over the mixed pasta salad and stir in just before serving to ensure that your pasta salad has enough dressing before garnishing and serving. As the pasta chills, the pasta tends to soak up some of the dressing. If you are serving this pasta salad warm, it is not necessary to do this.
- You can reserve a couple tablespoons of the corn mixture to sprinkle over the top of the mixed pasta salad as an additional garnish if desired.
Proper Storage
- To Store: This pasta salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- To Freeze: I do not recommend freezing this dish.
Recipe FAQs
This Mexican street corn pasta salad can be served warm or chilled. If serving this pasta salad cold, I suggest waiting until you are ready to serve before garnishing. The longer the salad sits, the more the pasta will absorb the dressing; therefore, I suggest serving this after it has been freshly made for the best flavor and texture results.
Cook the corn in a heavy duty or cast iron skillet for 5-6 minutes or until the kernels get a nice brown “blister” to them. The best way to do this is to leave the corn kernels undisturbed in the pan so that they can sear, only stirring a couple of times as needed to prevent burning the corn and other ingredients. Or, learn How to Grill Corn on the Cob here!
More Pasta Salad Recipes
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In a large pot, cook the rotini pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside to allow the pasta to cool off a little before adding the rest of the pasta salad ingredients.
1 pound Rotini pasta
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To make the dressing, add to a small bowl the mayonnaise, sour cream, fresh lime juice, salt, smoked paprika, chili powder, ground cumin, black pepper, and chipotle chile powder and whisk until smooth and fully combined. Set aside.
1 cup mayonnaise, 1 cup sour cream, 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon chili powder, ¼ teaspoon ground cumin, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ⅛ teaspoon chipotle chile powder
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Place a large, heavy-duty skillet (cast iron works great) over high heat on the stovetop. Once the skillet is really hot, add the olive oil, sweet yellow corn, 1 cup of green onions, and diced jalapeno pepper. Cook for 5-6 minutes or until the corn kernels get a nice brown “blister” to them. The best way to do this is to leave the corn kernels undisturbed in the pan so that they can sear, only stirring a couple of times as needed to prevent burning the corn and other ingredients. Remove from the heat.
1 tablespoon olive oil, 2½ cups frozen sweet yellow corn, 1¼ cups green onions, 1 tablespoon jalapeno pepper
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To a large mixing bowl, add the cooked and cooled rotini pasta, the corn mixture, the reserved dressing, the remaining ¼ cup chopped green onions, two tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro, and all of the crumbled cotija cheese (reserve ¼ cup of the cheese crumbles to use as garnish). Stir to combine all the Mexican street corn pasta salad ingredients.
1¼ cups green onions, 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, 10 ounces cotija cheese
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Transfer the pasta salad to a large serving bowl and garnish with the ¼ cup reserved cotija cheese crumbles and the remaining one tablespoon of fresh chopped cilantro before serving.
10 ounces cotija cheese, 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro
- To Store: This pasta salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- To Freeze: I do not recommend freezing this dish.
Tips:
- If you plan on serving your pasta salad chilled, you may want to reserve ½ cup of the sauce to drizzle over the mixed pasta salad and stir in just before serving to ensure that your pasta salad has enough dressing before garnishing and serving. As the pasta chills, the pasta tends to soak up some of the dressing. If you are serving this Mexican street corn pasta salad warm, it is not necessary to do this.
- You can reserve a couple tablespoons of the corn mixture to sprinkle over the top of the mixed pasta salad as an additional garnish if desired.
- If you enjoy a little extra “heat,” you can leave the seeds and membrane in the jalapeno pepper when dicing. You can substitute a serrano pepper (spicier than a jalapeno pepper) for extra heat and flavor as well. A poblano pepper will be a milder pepper if used.
- Chipotle chile powder is very spicy as well but also adds great depth of flavor. I suggest starting off with the ⅛ teaspoon, taste, then adjust with more if desired.
- You can substitute fresh corn kernels if they are in season for the frozen and thawed ones. You will need to note that they may need a little longer to cook and soften in the skillet.
Calories: 621kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 745mg | Potassium: 358mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 771IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 233mg | Iron: 2mg
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