If you're looking for the ultimate summer side dish, this elote pasta salad is just the ticket. It takes all the bold, tangy, creamy flavors of elote, also known as Mexican street corn, and folds them into a fresh, easy pasta salad that's perfect for feeding a crowd.
It's a mash-up you didn't know you needed—but once you try it, you'll want to make it for every backyard cookout, beach picnic, and casual get-together this season.
Pasta salads are on of my go-to dishes to bring to a potluck because what's the best thing about them? You can make pasta salad ahead of time, and it only gets better as it sits.
For this recipe, I was inspired to combine pasta with one of my favorite Mexican street food dishes: Mexican street corn. Either served as elote (corn on the cob) or esquites (corn off the cob), the bold seasonings used to season both are ideal for pasta salad dressing.
Does street corn have mayonnaise? Check. Sour cream or crema? Check. Something acidic? Yes--lime juice. Some punchy spices? Check check check. It was meant to be!
In this recipe, tender gemelli pasta (my favorite pasta shape because it is adorable), charred fresh sweet corn, Cotija cheese, and a punchy chili-lime dressing come together in a way that's both familiar and unexpected. In other words, this easy elote pasta salad is built for summer—and it’s a guaranteed hit every time you serve it.
If you're having a cookout, you'll need some more dishes to add to the mix. This is fantastic served with pulled chicken and Alabama white bbq sauce sandwiches. Add another easy salad, my broccoli salad with bacon, and serve some mini banana pudding jars for dessert and you've got yourself the ultimate summertime feast.
Sounds good, right? Let's make that street corn pasta salad then!
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Ingredients
Before we get started, let's gather the ingredients we need for this elote pasta salad recipe:
- fresh corn
- gemelli pasta
- sour cream
- mayonnaise
- lime zest
- lime juice
- chili powder
- smoked paprika
- green onions
- jalapeño pepper
- fresh cilantro
- garlic
- Cotija cheese
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
(See recipe card for quantities and full recipe.)
Instructions
Now that we've got our ingredients, it's time to get cooking!
- First, cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to the package directions. Drain and rinse to cool completely.
- Then, char the corn in a cast-iron skillet or over a gas burner. Let cool long enough to handle and then cut the kernels from the cobs.
- Next, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, lime zest, lime juice, chili powder, smoked paprika, and garlic.
- Finally, combine the cooked pasta, corn, green onions, cilantro, and jalapeño in a large bowl. Add half of the Cotija cheese and the dressing and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the remaining Cotija and garnish with cilantro and lime wedges if desired.
Hint: The pasta salad will be its creamiest immediately after you toss it. If you make it ahead of time, the pasta will soak up some of the dressing. This is totally normal. If you'd like it to be creamier, add more mayonnaise.
Substitutions
Need to make some ingredient swaps? Here are some suggestions:
- Gemelli pasta - Any small pasta shape will work instead of gemelli. Corkscrew (fusilli), ditalini, bowtie, elbow, and shells are all great.
- Fresh corn - If you can't find fresh corn or if it's not in season, use canned corn or frozen corn instead. You can even buy a can of fire-roasted corn and sometimes Trader Joe's has fire-roasted frozen corn.
- Cotija cheese - Cotija is a hard, grating cheese that's salty and really delicious in this pasta salad. Crumbled feta cheese, queso fresco, grated Parmesan cheese, and grated Asiago are all great substitutes.
- Sour cream - Use Mexican crema or plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream if you'd like.
- Jalapeño - Instead of a jalapeño, use a poblano pepper or green bell pepper.
- Cilantro - If you're not a fan of cilantro, use parsley instead.
Variations
Check out these additional ways to change up this recipe:
- Spicy - Love a dish with a kick? Don't seed the jalapeño or add a little cayenne pepper to make it spicier.
- Elote Pasta Salad with Chicken - It's easy to make this a main dish pasta salad. Stir in shredded or sliced cooked chicken. Rotisserie chicken makes it easy!
- Deluxe - Top with sliced avocado, diced tomatoes, and crispy onions to make this the ultimate pasta salad.
Equipment
Here's the equipment you'll need to make this easy Mexican street corn pasta salad recipe:
- chef's knife
- pasta pot
- colander
- dry measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- cast-iron skillet or grill pan
- whisk
- medium bowl
- large bowl
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
This recipe doesn't freeze well.
Tasty Tip
To char the corn, I use my gas burner and cook the cobs directly over the flames. If you only have an electric stovetop, you can use a cast-iron skillet or grill pan to cook the corn. Or, if it's nice outside you can grill them for that charred flavor.
Frequently asked questions
1. Overcooking or undercooking the pasta. You want to aim for al dente.
2. Using the wrong pasta shape. For this pasta salad, you'll want a short pasta as opposed to long pasta like spaghetti or linguine.
3. Not letting the pasta cool before adding the dressing.
4. Not cooking the pasta in salted water. It'll be bland no matter how much dressing you add!
Esquites is the off-the-cob version of elotes. All of the flavors you'd use to slather and sprinkle onto the corn are tossed together with the corn kernels. This pasta salad is essentially esquites pasta salad.
Yes. Once the pasta is cooked, I drain it and run it under cold water to cool it quickly. That'll also rinse off the starch so the pasta won't stick together.
That is all based on your preference. If you do make it ahead of time, it'll give the pasta a chance to absorb some of the flavors of the dressing. But, if you make it just before, the pasta salad will be its creamiest.
You probably didn't salt the pasta water enough. You need to add a lot of salt to the water--it should taste like the ocean. Maybe not the Dead Sea level of salt but salty enough to make you think "hey, that tastes like the ocean."
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this Mexican street corn salad:
🍽Get the recipe
Zesty Elote (Mexican Street Corn) Pasta Salad
Equipment
- chef's knife
- pasta pot
- colander
- dry measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- cast-iron skillet or grill pan
- whisk
- medium bowl
- large bowl
Ingredients
- 5 ears fresh corn, shucked
- 12 ounces gemelli pasta
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ⅔ cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ cup sliced green onions (1 small bunch)
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup crumbled Cotija cheese
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Fresh cilantro and lime wedges for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in boiling salted water to al dente according to the package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Let cool completely.
- Char the corn over the flame of a gas stove or in a cast-iron skillet or grill pan. Cut the kernels off the cobs and set aside.
- Whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, lime zest, lime juice, chili powder, smoked paprika, and garlic in a medium bowl.
- Combine the cooked pasta, corn, green onions, cilantro, and jalapeño in a large bowl. Add the dressing and half of the Cotija. Toss to coat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- To serve, garnish the top with the remaining Cotija, the cilantro, and lime wedges.
Recipe guidelines and test kitchen tips
When developing and testing recipes, here are some key things that I do for more success in the kitchen:
- Be sure to use dry measuring cups for things like flour, sugar, and mayonnaise and a liquid measuring cup for things like water, milk, and broth.
- When measuring dry ingredients like flour and powdered sugar that can pack down, spoon the ingredient into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife as opposed to scooping the measuring cup into the ingredient.
- I test and develop recipes using a standard electric oven and standard gas stovetop. Be aware that if you use an electric stovetop or convection oven, your bake times will be different.
- When recipes call for kosher salt, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
Food safety
Finally, don't forget to keep these food safety tips in mind when making this recipe.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove.
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