Mexican street corn pasta salad
- Preparation 15 min
- Cooking 15 min
- Servings 4
- Freezing I do not suggest
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🌽 The legendary summer lunch
This Mexican street corn pasta salad is completely bursting with flavour. It’s easy to make, kids love it, and honestly, it’s a ridiculous recipe in the best way. You can serve it as a totally wild side dish next to something off the grill, but trust me, as a summer lunch, it’s legendary. The kind of thing you make on Sunday and are happy to find in the fridge all week long.
🌶️ The taste of Mexican street corn
The inspiration is elote, that famous Mexican street corn slathered in cream, cheese, lime and spices. We take all of that and turn it into a pasta salad: golden pan-fried corn, a creamy lime dressing, Tajín, smoked paprika, crumbled feta and fresh cilantro. Every bite tastes like sunshine, creaminess and just the right amount of heat.
🍗 Wild side dish or complete meal
As is, it’s the perfect side dish for a backyard BBQ. And if you want to turn it into a real full meal for lunch, just add some grilled chicken cut into cubes: it transforms the salad into a satisfying main dish you can take anywhere. A chameleon recipe that adapts to your entire summer.
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🌽 Well-golden corn is the key
All the flavour comes from the caramelized corn. Let it colour properly in the pan without stirring constantly: it’s the contact with the hot pan that gives it that beautiful grilled elote taste. If you stir too much, it steams instead of browning. A little patience and you get golden kernels packed with flavour.
🌽 The fresh corn grilled on the barbecue option
If you have fresh corn, take advantage of it. Brush 3 or 4 cobs with a little olive oil and grill them on the barbecue for 10 to 12 minutes, turning them, until nicely charred. Then cut off the kernels and use them just like the pan-fried corn. It’s even closer to real elote.
🌶️ No Tajín on hand?
The Tajín is essentially a blend of chili pepper, dehydrated lime and salt. To replace it, mix 2 tsp mild chili powder + 1 tsp lime zest + ½ tsp salt. You reproduce the three elements and the result is almost identical.
🧀 Feta or cotija
I use crumbled feta because it’s easy to find at the grocery store, and it does a perfect job with its salty and creamy side. If you can get your hands on cotija, the traditional cheese of elote, go for it: it’s the most authentic option. Both work beautifully.
🍗 Add chicken for a complete meal
To turn this salad into a satisfying main lunch, add grilled chicken cut into cubes. It makes it filling and complete, perfect to bring to work or to the beach. You can even use leftover chicken from the night before. Nothing goes to waste.
❄️ Cilantro at the end, and the dressing that refreshes
Add the fresh cilantro right before serving so it keeps all its punch. And if you’ve made the salad ahead of time, the pasta will drink up the dressing as it cools: just add a little of the reserved dressing before serving to bring back all that creaminess.
✅ What to serve with my Mexican street corn pasta salad?
It’s made for the Mexican table. Serve it alongside my Beef fajitas with lime and beer marinade, my Chicken enchiladas or with a good bowl of Homemade guacamole and tortilla chips.
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For the pasta
- 1 lb (454 g) fusilli pasta
- A drizzle of olive oil
For the corn
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
- 2 ½ cups (625 ml) frozen corn
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the dressing
- ¾ cup (180 ml) mayonnaise
- ½ cup (125 ml) sour cream
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) Tajín
- ½ tsp (2.5 ml) cumin
- Juice and zest of 1 large lime
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 2 green onions, chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For assembly
- 200 g crumbled feta
- 1 large handful (20 g) fresh cilantro, chopped
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Preparation
- Cook the pasta al dente according to package instructions. Drain, rinse thoroughly under cold water to cool them down, then drain well. Drizzle with a little olive oil and toss to prevent sticking.
- In a skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil and add the frozen corn. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until nicely golden. Let cool for about 15 minutes.
- Make the dressing: in a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, smoked paprika, Tajín, cumin, lime juice and zest, garlic, green onions, salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the cooled pasta and pour over enough dressing to coat well. Add the golden corn, chopped cilantro and crumbled feta, then toss gently.
- Serve well chilled. If the salad is made ahead of time, add a little extra dressing before serving to freshen it up.
Tajín is a very popular Mexican seasoning made from mild chili pepper, dehydrated lime and salt. It’s what gives that tangy and slightly spicy flavour typical of street corn. If you don’t have any, replace 1 tbsp of Tajín with 2 tsp mild chili powder + 1 tsp lime zest + ½ tsp salt. You recreate the three elements and you’re good to go.
Yes, it’s actually an excellent salad to make ahead for lunches or potlucks. Keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The pasta absorbs the dressing as it cools, so set aside a little dressing and add it before serving to freshen it up. Save the fresh cilantro for the end so it stays nice and green and fragrant.
Fusilli are perfect because their spirals hold onto the creamy dressing and corn kernels. You can also use short pasta like rotini, penne or macaroni, which all do a great job. Avoid long pasta like spaghetti, which doesn’t mix as well in a salad.
Yes. Feta is my default choice because it’s easy to find and nicely salty. Cotija, the traditional cheese of elote, is the most authentic option if you can track some down. Fresh mozzarella or cheese curds would also do the trick for a milder result. The idea is a fresh cheese that brings salt and creaminess.
It goes beautifully with a Mexican meal. Serve it with my beef fajitas with lime and beer marinade, my chicken enchiladas or as a lunch with grilled chicken added right in. A bowl of homemade guacamole on the side and it’s a party.
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