Elote Street Corn Pasta Salad (Printable)
Smoky grilled corn meets creamy lime dressing and tender pasta in this bold Mexican-inspired summer salad.
# What You Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 12 oz fusilli or rotini pasta
→ Vegetables
02 - 4 ears corn on the cob (or 3 cups thawed frozen corn)
03 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
04 - 1/4 red onion, finely diced
05 - 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
06 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
→ Dressing
07 - 1/2 cup mayonnaise
08 - 1/2 cup sour cream
09 - Zest and juice of 1 lime
10 - 1 teaspoon chili powder
11 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
12 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
13 - 1 teaspoon sea salt
14 - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
→ Cheese
15 - 3/4 cup cotija cheese, crumbled (or feta as a substitute)
→ Optional Additions
16 - 1 jalapeño, finely diced
17 - 1 avocado, diced
# Directions:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook fusilli or rotini according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold running water to halt cooking. Set aside to cool completely.
02 - Place corn ears on a preheated hot grill or grill pan. Grill for 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until kernels are lightly charred and smoky. Let cool, then stand each ear upright and slice kernels from the cob. For frozen corn, sauté in a dry skillet over high heat until lightly charred.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, lime zest, lime juice, chili powder, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, sea salt, and black pepper until smooth and well blended.
04 - Add the cooled pasta, grilled corn kernels, diced red bell pepper, finely diced red onion, sliced green onions, and chopped cilantro to the dressing. Toss thoroughly until every component is evenly coated.
05 - Gently fold in the crumbled cotija cheese. If using, add the finely diced jalapeño and diced avocado, folding carefully to avoid mashing the avocado.
06 - Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Taste before serving and adjust salt, pepper, or lime juice as needed.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The smoky char on the corn paired with the tangy lime cream dressing is the kind of combination that makes people close their eyes when they take a bite.
- It comes together in about half an hour and actually tastes better after sitting, which means zero last minute stress when entertaining.
- Everyone assumes you spent far more effort on it than you actually did, and there is no reason to correct that assumption.
02 -
- Do not skip rinsing the pasta, because residual starch turns the dressing into a thick paste within an hour and there is no fixing it once that happens.
- The salad tastes dramatically better on day two, making it an ideal make ahead dish, though the avocado will brown so add that fresh if you are planning leftovers.
03 -
- Toast the chili powder in a dry skillet for thirty seconds before adding it to the dressing, and the flavor will go from dusty to deeply aromatic with almost zero effort.
- Use the back of your knife to smash the grilled corn kernels slightly before adding them, releasing their milky sweetness into the dressing and making every bite more cohesive.