Description
Easy Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad is a flavorful, creamy dish inspired by the beloved Mexican street food, elote. This vibrant pasta salad combines rotini pasta with grilled corn, cotija cheese, and fresh cilantro, all enveloped in a zesty lime dressing. Perfect for summer barbecues, picnics, or as a refreshing side for any meal, it’s easy to prepare and sure to impress your guests.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 oz rotini pasta
- 2 cups corn (fresh or frozen; grilled preferred)
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup cotija cheese, crumbled (plus extra for garnish)
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (plus extra for garnish)
- 1 green onion, sliced
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp chili powder (plus extra for garnish)
Instructions
- Cook the rotini pasta according to package directions in salted boiling water. Drain and rinse under cold water.
- If using fresh corn, grill until lightly charred; cool and remove kernels from the cob. If using frozen corn, thaw and drain well.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, chili powder, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- Add cooked pasta, corn, cotija cheese, cilantro, and green onion to the dressing; toss gently until well combined.
- Adjust seasoning if needed and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
- Before serving, garnish with additional cotija cheese, cilantro leaves, and a sprinkle of chili powder.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 480mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
Keywords: For extra flavor depth, use fresh grilled corn when available. You can modify the creaminess by adjusting the ratio of mayonnaise to sour cream. Feel free to add diced bell peppers or jalapeños for added crunch and heat.