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Creamy Street Corn Pasta Salad

Creamy street corn pasta salad with charred corn and pasta tossed in an ultra-creamy elote dressing of mayo, sour cream, lime, and chili powder. Finished with crumbled cotija and a chili-lime punch for a richer take on street corn macaroni salad.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
chilling 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican-American
Calories: 560
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta salad
  • 1 lb elbow or rotini pasta
  • 4 cup corn kernels charred in a hot pan
  • 0.5 red onion finely diced
  • 1 jalapeño minced
  • 4 oz cotija cheese crumbled
  • 0.25 cup fresh cilantro chopped
For creamy elote dressing
  • 0.75 cup mayonnaise
  • 0.25 cup sour cream
  • 3 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tsp lime zest
  • 1.5 tsp chili powder 1-1/2 teaspoons for dressing plus extra for dusting
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 0.5 tsp cumin
  • 0.25 tsp salt to taste

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook and cool
  1. Cook the elbow or rotini pasta in boiling water until al dente, then drain. Rinse the pasta cold and cool completely.
  2. Char the corn kernels in a cast iron skillet over high heat until blackened in spots. Transfer to a plate and cool.
Make the elote dressing
  1. Whisk the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, lime zest, chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin, and salt until smooth. Check seasoning and add more salt to taste.
Assemble and chill
  1. Combine the cooled pasta with the charred corn kernels, red onion, and jalapeño in a large bowl. Toss until evenly distributed.
  2. Pour the elote dressing over the pasta mixture and toss to coat thoroughly. Scrape the bottom and sides to fully combine.
  3. Fold in most of the cotija cheese and chopped fresh cilantro. Reserve some cotija and cilantro for the top.
  4. Top the pasta salad with the remaining cotija cheese. Dust with extra chili powder just before serving.
  5. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up the creamy coating and let the flavors meld. Serve cold after chilling.

Notes

Pro tip: char the corn until it has distinct blackened spots, then cool it before mixing so the dressing stays thick and creamy. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; the pasta may soften slightly. Freezing is not recommended due to the creamy dressing texture. For a lighter swap, use Greek yogurt in place of half the sour cream while keeping the mayo to maintain the classic elote-like richness.