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A close-up shot of Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad in a wooden bowl, tossed with a creamy chili-lime dressing, roasted corn, cilantro, and cotija cheese, and garnished with a lime wedge.
Callie Brooks

Corn Pasta Salad Recipe

Corn Pasta Salad combines smoky roasted corn, creamy chili-lime dressing, and bold seasonings for the ultimate summer side dish. It’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Mexican-American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Salad:
  • 400 g short-cut pasta like fusilli, rotini, or ditalini
  • 2 ears of fresh corn
  • 3 green onions thinly sliced
  • 1 small shallot finely chopped
  • 2 jalapeños minced (seeds removed for less heat)
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 cup crumbled cotija cheese or feta as a substitute
  •  
For the Creamy Chili-Lime Dressing:
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • Juice and zest of 1 fresh lime
  • 3 garlic cloves minced or pressed
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method
 

  1. 1. Choose your preferred corn preparation method and let the corn cool.
  2. 2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water. Toss with a little olive oil.
  3. 3. Slice the green onions. Mince the shallot, jalapeños, garlic, and cilantro. Crumble the cotija. Zest and juice the lime.
  4. 4. Mix sour cream, mayonnaise, lime juice and zest, garlic, paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl until smooth.
  5. 5. In a large bowl, combine pasta, corn, green onions, shallot, jalapeños, cilantro, and most of the cotija cheese. Add dressing and toss gently.
  6. 6. Garnish with remaining cotija and optional herbs. Serve immediately or chill for 30 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5 cupsCalories: 320kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 8gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 580mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4g

Notes

For best texture, wait to add avocado until just before serving.
To make it vegan: Use plant-based mayo and sour cream, and vegan feta.
To make it ahead: Store salad and dressing separately until ready to serve.

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