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Street Corn Pasta Salad

Street Corn Pasta Salad

A smoky, creamy pasta salad inspired by Mexican street corn, featuring roasted kernels, tangy lime dressing, and cotija cheese.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Lunch, Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican-American
Calories: 380
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound dry short pasta Rotini or cavatappi
  • 3 cups sweet corn kernels Thawed and dried if frozen
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 0.5 cup mayonnaise
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 0.25 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1 cup cotija cheese Crumbled
  • 0.5 cup fresh cilantro Finely chopped
  • 0.25 cup red onion Finely diced
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.5 tsp kosher salt

Equipment

  • Cast-Iron Skillet
  • Large boiling pot
  • Large mixing bowl

Method
 

  1. Roast the corn kernels in a hot cast iron skillet with olive oil for 7 minutes until heavily charred. Let them cool completely.
  2. Boil the dry pasta in heavily salted water until al dente. Drain and rinse thoroughly with cold water to stop the cooking.
  3. Whisk the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, chili powder, smoked paprika, and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
  4. Toss the cold pasta in the creamy dressing until fully coated.
  5. Fold in the cooled charred corn, red onion, cilantro, and cotija cheese. Chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours before serving.

Notes

  • Ensure the roasted corn is completely cool before adding it to the bowl, or it will melt the mayonnaise and turn the dressing greasy.
  • Cotija cheese is naturally salty, so taste the final salad before deciding to add any extra table salt.