Creamy Elote Pasta Salad (Print Page)
Creamy Mexican street corn pasta with cotija cheese, lime, and smoky spices in a tangy dressing.
# What You Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 8 oz short pasta (rotini, penne, or fusilli)
→ Elote Dressing
02 - 1/4 cup mayonnaise
03 - 1/4 cup sour cream
04 - 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
05 - 1/2 tsp chili powder
06 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
07 - 1/2 tsp ground cumin
08 - 1/2 tsp kosher salt (or to taste)
09 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
→ Vegetables & Add-ins
10 - 2 cups cooked corn kernels (fresh, grilled, or canned; about 3 ears)
11 - 1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese (or feta if unavailable)
12 - 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
13 - 1/4 cup diced red onion
14 - 1 small jalapeño, seeded and finely diced (optional)
→ Garnish
15 - Additional cotija cheese
16 - Extra chopped cilantro
17 - Lime wedges
# Directions:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the short pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain through a strainer and rinse under cold running water to halt cooking. Set aside and let cool completely.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, chili powder, smoked paprika, ground cumin, kosher salt, and black pepper until smooth and well combined.
03 - Add the cooled pasta, cooked corn kernels, crumbled cotija cheese, chopped cilantro, diced red onion, and jalapeño to the bowl with the dressing. Gently toss everything together until the pasta and vegetables are evenly coated.
04 - Taste the salad and adjust salt, pepper, or chili powder as needed. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
05 - Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with extra crumbled cotija cheese, additional chopped cilantro, and lime wedges on the side.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The dressing tastes like the best street corn you have ever had, but it coats every spiral of pasta instead of slipping off a cob.
- It comes together in the time it takes to boil pasta, which means you can decide to make it thirty minutes before guests walk in.
02 -
- If you add the dressing to warm pasta it will melt into a greasy pool, so patience while the pasta cools is the single step that separates good from great.
- Grilling the corn directly on a gas burner or under a broiler transforms the entire dish into something that tastes like summer on a plate.
03 -
- Crush a handful of tortilla chips over the top right before serving for texture that disappears if you add them too early.
- A tiny drizzle of honey in the dressing rounds out the lime and chili in a way that makes people close their eyes when they take the first bite.