Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad is a flavorful way to enjoy summer corn. It has the flavors of the popular street food in a cool pasta salad with a creamy base. It would make a delicious side dish for your summer barbecue.
Mexican Street Corn is grilled fresh sweet corn which is covered in mayonnaise then sprinkled with chili powder, grated Cojita cheese, and fresh cilantro. It is often sold by street vendors served with a squeeze of lime juice. This delicious pasta salad incorporates the same ingredients.
If you are having a summer bbq, Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad would be a delicious dish to serve on the side. With all the great seasonings and fresh flavor, it just might turn out to be one of your favorite side dishes.It is also hearty enough to be a vegetarian main course. If you are looking for ideas for your summer cookouts, check out 30 Simple Summer Cookout Side Dishes.
If you are a fan of this Mexican street corn pasta salad recipe, you should check out Mexican Corn Cakes and Mexican Street Corn Fritters and Mexican Street Corn Casserole.
If you would like to try another easy pasta salad recipe that is a great side dish with summer corn , black beans, red onion, tomato, avocado and has a creamy dressing, check out Southwest Pasta Salad.
This would be so good served with Baja Chicken.
For more Mexican inspired dishes, easy recipes and cocktails, check out 35 Simple Cinco de Mayo Recipes.
SOME THINGS TO KNOW: FAQS
INGREDIENT INFORMATION:
- Cotija is an aged white Mexican cheese that is made from cow’s milk. It is firm in texture, crumbly and salty.
- Elote is a Mexican word that translates to corn cob.
- This recipe calls for a Jalapeño pepper. This is a spicy small green pepper. You can reduce the heat by removing the seeds and the inside ribs of the pepper. If you want to read some more about cooking with them, check out What Are Jalapeño Peppers?
SUBSTITUTIONS:
- One ear of corn will yield ½ cup of corn kernels. If you want to make this recipe using frozen or canned corn instead of fresh corn, you will need 1½ cups of corn.
- If you do not have green onions on hand, red onion would be a good substitute.
- Orecchiette is an Italian pasta that has a shape that resembles a small ear. If you cannot find it at your local grocery store, small penne, fusilli or bowtie pasta would be good substitutes.
- If you cannot find Cojita cheese at your grocery store, Queso Fresco is another Mexican white cheese which is a bit softer but still has a crumbly texture. Feta cheese could also be used.
ADDITIONS:
- If you want a bit of extra heat in the pasta salad dressing you can add ¼ to ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
- If you love black beans, add a cup. They would be a good addition.
CAN YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE AHEAD OF TIME?
- You can make this pasta salad a day before you plan to serve it. It will be more flavorful the next day. Make sure to store it in an airtight container or a bowl that is tightly covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator.
HOW TO STORE LEFTOVER MEXICAN STREET CORN PASTA SALAD:
- You can keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
- Because of the creamy mayo and sour cream mixture in the dressing, this will not freeze well. The consistency of the dressing will change. Freezing the leftovers is not advised.
Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
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Ingredients
- 3 ear fresh corn on the cob
- 1 cup Orecchiette pasta
- 1⁄4 cup green onions, chopped
- 1 Jalapeño pepper, diced into tiny pieces
- 3⁄4 cup mayonnaise
- 1⁄4 cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1⁄4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- ½ cup cojita cheese (reserve 2 tablespoons to sprinkle on top)
Instructions
If you have never grilled corn before, watch How To Grill Corn Three Ways.If you do not have an outdoor grill, you can check out Oven Roasted Corn on the Cob.
Once the corn is finished being grilled or roasted, remove it from the cob using a sharp knife and place it into a large bowl. Let the corn cool to room temperature before mixing it with any of the other ingredients.
While you are grilling the corn, bring a large pot of salted cold water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the uncooked pasta and cook according to the package directions for the tenderness you prefer. Al dente is the firmest and would stand up well in the salad.
When the pasta is cooked, drain it and rinse it with cold water. It must be cool before it is mixed with the dressing.
Add the pasta to the bowl with the corn.
Add the green onion and the Jalapeño pepper to the bowl.
Use a small bowl to mix the dressing ingredients. Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, chili powder, lime juice, salt and pepper. Mix them together well.
Pour the dressing over the corn and pasta and stir it in. Make sure that is is thoroughly combined.
Add the cilantro and cojita cheese (less 2 tablespoons) and stir them into the pasta salad.
Sprinkle the remaining cojita over the top of the salad.
