Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad Recipe (Elote Pasta Salad)
With a creamy, tangy dressing, sweet corn, salty cheese, and bright herbs, this Mexican street corn pasta salad recipe packs all the flavors of elote into a summer side dish.
Servings 8 servings
Calories 301kcal
Ingredients
Creamy Dressing:
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Tajín seasoning (see Notes for substitute)
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime zest
Pasta Salad:
- 8 ounces ditalini pasta cooked according to the package directions and drained (or any small pasta shape you like)
- 4 large ears corn on the cob cooked, cooled, and cut off the cob (see Notes)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 jalapeño peppers de-seeded and minced (you can reduce it to 1 jalapeño if you don’t want it spicy)
- 1/2 medium red onion diced
- 6 ounces crumbled cotija cheese divided
- 3 scallions green and white parts, thinly sliced, divided
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves (for garnish)
- 1 jalapeño pepper thinly sliced (for garnish)
- 1 lime cut into 6 wedges (for squeezing on top when you serve it)
Instructions
For the Creamy Dressing:
- Add all ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Cover and refrigerate while you make the salad.
For the Salad:
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside to cool. (If the pasta sticks together as it cools, run it under cold water for a few seconds.)
- Cook the corn any way you like, let it cool, and then cut the kernels off the cob.
- Add the butter to a small skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add the garlic and minced jalapeños, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and cool for a few minutes.
- Add the pasta, corn, garlic/jalapeño butter, red onion, 2/3 of the cheese, half of the sliced scallions, and creamy dressing to a large bowl and gently toss to combine.
- If you have the time, chill for 2 hours before serving.
- Right before serving, transfer to a serving platter and top with the remaining 1/3 of the cheese, half of the sliced scallions, the cilantro leaves, and the sliced jalapeño. Serve along with the lime wedges to squeeze on top.
Notes
- Cooking the Corn: For the best flavor, use fresh local corn on the cob when it's in season. The easiest way to cook it for the most flavorful corn is to microwave it! Not only is it sweet and juicy, but the husks just slip right off with no mess. (I have a full post on how to microwave corn on the cob in the husks.) Or if you're firing up the grill anyway, you can grill the corn for this salad to give it some char flavor.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. Wait to add the garnishes until right before serving. After being in the fridge a couple days, creamy pasta salad has the tendency to dry out a little. It's still fine to eat, but if you want to bring back the creaminess, feel free to stir in a dollop of mayo.
- Make it Stretch: An easy way to bump up the protein and make this salad stretch is to add a can of rinsed, drained black beans.
- Tajín Seasoning Substitute: This seasoning has a very tangy, lime-forward flavor. If it isn't your thing, you can substitute with a few different spices. To omit the Tajín, add the following: 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika, and increase the lime juice to 2 tablespoons and the lime zest to 2 teaspoons.
Nutrition
Calories: 301kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 374mg | Potassium: 288mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 517IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 154mg | Iron: 1mg