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Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

Mexican street corn pasta salad with charred corn, cotija cheese, and a creamy chili-lime dressing tossed through al dente short pasta. It delivers an elote-inspired smoky, tangy flavor in an easy summer corn pasta 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
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Mexican street corn pasta salad
  • 12 oz short pasta (rotini or shells)
  • 3 cup corn kernels, charred (grilled or pan-roasted)
  • 0.5 cup cotija cheese, crumbled
  • 0.5 red onion, finely diced
  • 1 jalapeño, minced
  • 0.25 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 2 green onions, sliced
  • 0.5 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp sour cream
  • 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 1 tsp lime zest
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.5 tsp cumin
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 Salt to taste

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Bring water to a boil and cook the short pasta until al dente, 8-10 minutes, then drain.
  2. Rinse the pasta under cold water until fully cooled and cool it completely before mixing.
Char the corn
  1. Heat a dry cast iron skillet over high heat, then char the corn kernels until blackened in spots, 6-8 minutes.
  2. Spread the charred corn on a sheet pan and cool completely.
Make the chili-lime dressing
  1. Whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, fresh lime juice, lime zest, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and salt together until smooth.
Assemble and chill
  1. Combine cooled pasta with charred corn, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, and green onions.
  2. Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture and toss until every bite is coated.
  3. Top with cotija cheese.
  4. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  5. Before serving, dust with extra chili powder and garnish with cilantro and lime.

Notes

Pro tip: rinse pasta well and cool it completely so the chili-lime dressing stays creamy instead of thinning out. Store in the refrigerator up to 3 days; the texture softens slightly, but it’s still great. Freezing isn’t recommended. If you want a lighter option, replace mayonnaise with Greek yogurt (choose plain) and keep sour cream the same or reduce it slightly.