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Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

Mexican street corn pasta salad with charred corn, diced peppers, and a creamy cilantro-lime dressing. Rotini tossed until coated, then chilled for bold elote-style flavor and a fresh, tangy finish with cotija and herbs.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican-American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta
  • 1 lb rotini or shells pasta
Corn and vegetables
  • 5 cup corn kernels, charred
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 jalapeño, diced
  • 0.5 cup red onion, diced
Cilantro-lime dressing
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 0.333 cup lime juice
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 0.01 Salt and pepper to taste
Toppings
  • 1 cup cotija cheese, crumbled
  • 0.25 cup cilantro, chopped

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook and rinse the pasta
  1. Cook the rotini or shells pasta according to package directions, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking and keep it from clumping.
Char the corn
  1. Heat a hot cast iron skillet and char the corn kernels until lightly blackened, stirring occasionally so the edges blister evenly.
Make the cilantro-lime dressing
  1. Whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until smooth and evenly colored.
Assemble and coat
  1. Combine the pasta, charred corn kernels, diced red bell pepper, diced jalapeño, and diced red onion in a large bowl.
  2. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat thoroughly so every piece looks glossy and speckled.
Chill and serve
  1. Refrigerate the salad for at least 2 hours so flavors meld and the dressing thickens slightly.
  2. Before serving, top with crumbled cotija cheese and chopped cilantro for a salty, fresh finish.

Notes

Pro tip: rinse the pasta with cold water right after draining, then let it cool before mixing so the dressing stays creamy instead of loosening. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Freezing isn’t recommended because the mayo-and-sour-cream dressing can separate after thawing. For a lighter option, use Greek yogurt in place of half the mayonnaise to keep it tangy while reducing richness.