This easy Elote Pasta Salad combines all the deliciousness of Mexican street corn - charred corn, cotija cheese, jalapeno, green onions, cilantro and a creamy chili-lime dressing - with ditalini pasta. It's sure to be a hit at your next picnic or potluck!
Sweet corn is one of my favorite summertime foods. I also love a good pasta salad and Mexican food. And combining them all to make this Mexican street corn pasta salad is a total winner.
Not only is it quick and easy to make, but it's so good that I make it all summer long when the corn is in season and at the peak of freshness. I can't get enough!
Love corn too? Be sure to try my Corn, Tomato and Feta Salad, Instant Pot Corn on the Cob and Easy Cheesy Corn Fritters.
Jump to:
Why I Love This Recipe (And You Will Too)
- It's not your typical pasta salad. It's a welcome change from the same-old-same-old that we're all used to having.
- The flavors will have you coming back for more. Between the toasty charred sweet corn, salty/tangy cotija cheese, crunchy green onions and jalapenos, and the creamy chili-lime dressing, your taste buds will be very happy indeed.
- You don't need a grill. You can easily char the corn in a grill pan or cast iron skillet on the stove.
- It's not just for summer. When fresh corn is out of season, you can use frozen or canned corn instead (see Substitutions & Variations below).
Ingredients & Notes
Here are all of the ingredients you need to make this recipe, along with some notes and tips to help you make the best selections.
Ingredient amounts are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Ditalini pasta - I like to use this shape because it is small and more similar to the size of the corn kernels; but you can also use other pasta shapes, such as small or medium shells, bowties or macaroni
- Corn (on the cob) - select ears that are tightly wrapped with bright green husks that feel slightly damp, have golden/light brown tassels, and that feel heavy for their size
- Sour cream - I use full-fat sour cream for its richness, but you can use a lower-fat option if you prefer
- Lime juice - for the best flavor, use freshly-squeezed juice; bottled lime juice can be used in a pinch (I've used it plenty of times; the flavor is just a little different, but it works too)
- Cotija cheese - a crumbly, salty and tangy/sharp Mexican cheese; look for it near the specialty cheeses; I use the pre-grated variety which is relatively fine and distributes nicely throughout the salad
Substitutions & Variations
- If fresh corn isn't in season, you can easily make this pasta salad with frozen corn or even canned corn. You'll need 3 cups of corn kernels, thawed or drained.
- To char corn kernels, put them in a large skillet with a teaspoon of oil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until about half of the kernels have developed some brown color. Cool completely before adding to the salad.
- Crumbled queso fresco, which is a softer, less salty and milder Mexican cheese can be used instead of cotija. Feta cheese is another option.
- For a smokier flavor, add some smoked paprika along with the chili powder. For a smoky flavor with heat, use chipotle chili powder instead of regular chili powder.
- To make esquites (mexican street corn salad), omit the pasta and double the corn. Everything else stays the same.
How to Make Elote Pasta Salad
This is a brief overview of the steps. The full printable recipe card with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions is at the bottom of the post.
Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a large bowl.
Boil the pasta in salted water. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Meanwhile, char the corn; allow to cool.
Cut the corn kernels off of the cobs.
Add the corn, pasta, onions, jalapenos, and cheese to the bowl with the dressing. Mix until well combined.
Transfer the salad to a serving bowl. Garnish as desired, and enjoy!
Top Tips
- To use your time most efficiently, peel the corn, slice the onions, dice the jalapenos, chop the cilantro, and make the dressing while waiting for the pasta water to boil. Then char the corn while the pasta is cooking.
- Not into cilantro? It's okay to leave it out. The salad will still be very delicious!
- I like to reserve a little bit of the corn kernels, green onions, jalapenos, cotija cheese, and cilantro to garnish the top of the salad; this is optional but makes for a very nice presentation.
Make Ahead
This salad is as its creamy best when served immediately after mixing everything together so that the pasta and cheese don't have time to soak in a lot of the dressing.
To make it ahead of time, prepare the dressing and all of the other ingredients and store them separately in the refrigerator. Then mix everything together right before serving.
Storage
Store this pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.
The pasta and cheese will soak up some of the dressing as it sits, so leftover salad won't be as creamy as when you first made it. I usually enjoy it as is because I don't mind that, and the flavor is still really good.
But if you want to make it creamy again, just make a small amount of the dressing and stir it into the leftover salad right before serving. For example, for a half batch of leftovers, I would make a quarter batch of the dressing.
Serving Suggestions
Elotes pasta salad is a great side dish that goes with just about anything, from Mexican food (of course!) to all things grilled: burgers, hot dogs, steak, chicken, pork, or seafood.
Or you can enjoy it on its own for a delicious lunch or light supper.
I hope you try this Elote Pasta Salad and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!
More Easy Pasta Salad Recipes to Try
If you make this recipe, I'd love to know how it went. Please leave a star rating and comment below. Thanks!
📋Recipe
Elote Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the Dressing
- ¼ cup sour cream, I use full-fat sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lime juice, about 2 small limes (bottled lime juice can be used instead)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste (I use kosher salt; if using regular table salt, you may want to use a little less to start)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
For the Salad
- 4 ounces ditalini pasta, dry
- 3 large ears fresh corn on the cob, husks and silk removed (or enough to yield 3 cups of kernels once removed from the cobs after charring)
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
- 1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced (about ¼ cup)
- ⅓ cup grated cotija cheese
Special Equipment
- grill pan, cast iron skillet or grill
Instructions
Make the Dressing
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, lime juice, cilantro, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until well combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Set aside.
Cook the Pasta
- Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to the package directions. Drain the pasta into a colander and immediately rinse it with cold water until it is cool. Drain well and set aside.
Char the Corn
- Meanwhile, heat a grill pan, cast iron skillet or the grill over medium-high heat until hot. Add the ears of corn and cook, turning occasionally, until the corn turns a deeper yellow color and about half of the kernels have a nice brown color on them, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Remove the corn from the pan or grill and allow to cool, about 15 minutes.
- Cut the corn kernels off of the cob.To do this, I stand the cob up on the stem end (making sure that end is nice and flat so it stays stable) and firmly hold the top end. Then I carefully shave the kernels off the cob with a sharp knife, going from the top to the bottom and getting as close to the cob as I can. If you have a tool that removes the corn from the cob, you can use that instead.
Assemble the Salad
- To the bowl with the dressing, add the cooked pasta, charred corn kernels, green onions, jalapeno pepper, and cotija cheese. Mix until well combined and everything is evenly coated with the dressing. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed.
- Transfer to a serving bowl. If desired, garnish the top with corn, green onions, jalapenos, cilantro, and cheese. Serve immediately, and enjoy!
Notes
- To use your time most efficiently, peel the corn, slice the onions, dice the jalapenos, chop the cilantro, and make the dressing while waiting for the pasta water to boil. Then char the corn while the pasta is cooking.
- I like to reserve a little bit of the corn kernels, green onions, jalapenos, cotija cheese, and cilantro to garnish the top of the salad; this is optional but makes for a very nice presentation.
- If you're not into cilantro, you can leave it out.
- This salad is as its creamy best when served immediately after mixing everything together so that the pasta and cheese don't have time to soak in a lot of the dressing.
- To make it ahead of time, prepare the dressing and all of the other ingredients and store them separately in the refrigerator. Then mix everything together right before serving.
Michelle says
So flavorful and such a great way to use in-season sweet corn and change-up your pasta salad game. Be sure to give it a try!