Elote Street Corn Pasta (Printer-Friendly)
Smoky grilled corn meets creamy lime dressing and tender pasta in this bold Mexican-inspired side dish.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 12 oz fusilli or rotini pasta
→ Vegetables
02 - 4 ears corn on the cob (or 3 cups thawed frozen corn)
03 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
04 - 1/4 red onion, finely diced
05 - 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
06 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
→ Dressing
07 - 1/2 cup mayonnaise
08 - 1/2 cup sour cream
09 - Zest and juice of 1 lime
10 - 1 teaspoon chili powder
11 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
12 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
13 - 1 teaspoon sea salt
14 - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
→ Cheese
15 - 3/4 cup cotija cheese, crumbled (or feta as a substitute)
→ Optional Additions
16 - 1 jalapeño, finely diced
17 - 1 avocado, diced
# How-To Steps:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook fusilli or rotini according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold running water to halt cooking. Set aside to cool completely.
02 - Place corn ears on a preheated hot grill or grill pan. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until kernels are lightly charred and smoky. Let cool, then stand each ear upright and slice kernels from the cob. If using frozen corn, sauté in a dry skillet over high heat until lightly blackened.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, lime zest, lime juice, chili powder, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper (if using), sea salt, and black pepper until smooth and well combined.
04 - Add the cooled pasta, grilled corn kernels, diced red bell pepper, red onion, green onions, and chopped cilantro to the dressing. Toss thoroughly until every component is evenly coated.
05 - Gently fold in crumbled cotija cheese. If desired, add finely diced jalapeño and diced avocado at this stage.
06 - Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to develop. Taste before serving and adjust salt, pepper, or lime juice as needed.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- It captures everything addictive about street corn but scales up effortlessly for a crowd.
- The creamy lime dressing actually improves as it sits, making it the rare pasta salad that tastes better on day two.
- You can grill the corn outdoors or char it in a skillet on your stove, so weather never gets in the way.
02 -
- Under salted pasta water is the single biggest mistake I made early on, because the dressing cannot compensate for bland noodles no matter how flavorful it is.
- Patting the corn dry before grilling helps it char instead of steaming, which completely changed the depth of flavor I was getting.
03 -
- Squeeze an extra lime over the top right before serving, because the brightness fades as it sits and that final hit makes everything sparkle.
- Reserve a handful of extra cilantro and a dusting of chili powder for garnishing the bowl, since people taste with their eyes first.