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Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

Mexican street corn pasta salad with charred corn, crisp peppers, and a creamy cilantro-lime dressing. This elote salad style pasta is chilled until the flavors meld, then finished with cotija and fresh cilantro.
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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: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta base
  • 1 lb rotini or shells pasta
Street corn mix
  • 5 corn kernels, charred
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 jalapeño, diced
  • 0.5 cup red onion, diced
Creamy 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
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Finish
  • 1 cup cotija cheese, crumbled
  • 0.25 cup cilantro, chopped

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook and prep
  1. Cook rotini or shells pasta according to package directions until al dente, then drain and rinse with cold water to cool quickly and stop cooking.
  2. Char corn kernels, charred in a hot cast iron skillet until lightly blackened, stirring as needed so the kernels blister evenly and turn aromatic.
Make the dressing
  1. Whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste in a bowl until smooth and creamy, with no dry spice pockets.
Assemble and chill
  1. Combine pasta, charred corn kernels, red bell pepper, jalapeño, and red onion in a large bowl, folding gently so everything is evenly distributed.
  2. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until every piece of pasta is coated and the mixture looks glossy.
  3. Refrigerate the salad for at least 2 hours so it firms up and the flavors meld.
Serve
  1. Top the chilled salad with cotija cheese and cilantro right before serving for a salty, fresh finish.

Notes

For the best charred flavor, don’t crowd the skillet—char the corn in batches if needed. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; freeze is not recommended because the creamy dressing can break. For a lighter option, swap sour cream for plain Greek yogurt while keeping mayonnaise to help the dressing stay thick.