Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

This Mexican street corn pasta salad tastes like a summer side dish treat with tender pasta, sweet corn, cotija cheese, lime, and a creamy chili dressing. The corn and pasta make it hearty while keeping this easy pasta salad simple and full of bold flavor. You'll get the best how to make Mexican street corn pasta salad recipe ideas for cookouts, potlucks, and busy family dinners. Pin this so your next side dish is ready before the day gets loud.

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Why this is the best Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad recipe

It's a simple recipe. This Mexican street corn pasta salad uses basic ingredients like pasta, corn, mayonnaise, sour cream, cotija cheese, lime juice, and seasonings, so you may already have most of what you need in your kitchen. If not, everything should be easy to find at your local grocery store.

It's very easy. All you have to do is cook the pasta, mix the creamy dressing, stir everything together, and let it chill. This is the kind of side dish that looks and tastes special without being hard to make.

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Elote pasta salad tastes amazing. The sweet corn, creamy dressing, salty cheese, fresh lime, and smoky chili flavor make this pasta salad taste like classic Mexican street corn in a cool, easy side dish. It is creamy, tangy, and full of flavor without being complicated.

Mexican street corn pasta salad is great for cookouts, potlucks, family dinners, and summer holidays. This Mexican street corn pasta salad can be made ahead of time, so you have an easy side dish ready when dinner gets busy. I recommend you keep it out of the sun as it does contain dairy and mayo.

What you'll need to make Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

Equipment

• Large pot, or Dutch Oven
• Citrus juicer

Ingredients

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See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for all measurements and nutritional information.

• Pasta: I recommend rotini, ditalini, penne, or farfalle (bowtie) pasta for best results.
• Corn: You can use one 29-ounce can, two 15-ounce cans, or two and a half 12-ounce bags of frozen. Or, if you have fresh corn, cut it off the cob and measure about 4 cups.
• Green Onion: Add a nice flavor. If you don't have green onions, you could finely dice a red onion instead.
• Jalapeno: be sure to finely dice the peppers for best results. If you hate spicy food, then you may omit or use a quarter of a finely diced bell pepper. If you want it spicier, add more jalapenos or hotter peppers based on your own preferences.
• Cheese: use feta or cotija cheese for best results.
• Cilantro: This is essential for the Mexican street corn flavor, but if you can't eat cilantro, you could use fresh parsley instead.
• Mayonnaise: this is part of the base of the dressing. Do not omit. For best results, use regular mayonnaise.
• Sour Cream: this is part of the base of the dressing. You can replace with plain Greek yogurt but do not omit.
• Spices: adjust as preferred.

How to make easy orange pancakes

1. Boil the pasta according to package instructions, using cook time for al dente. Drain, then let it cool completely.
2. While the pasta is boiling, make the dressing by stirring together the mayonnaise, sour cream or Greek yogurt, lime juice, and spices in a small bowl. Taste it, season with salt and black pepper if needed, then set aside.
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3. Once the cooked pasta has cooled, stir in the well-drained corn, sliced green onion, diced jalapeno, feta cheese, and cilantro. You can do this all in the pan you cooked the pasta in or use a large bowl.
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4. Stir in the dressing. Refrigerate until time to serve.
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Cook's tips for the best creamy street corn pasta salad

Do not skip cooling the pasta completely before adding the other ingredients. If needed, add a small amount of olive oil to the pasta to help prevent it from sticking before adding in the other ingredients.

Make sure you wear disposable gloves while handling and dicing the jalapeno. For less heat, remove and discard the inner membrane and seeds. For more heat, leave them in or replace jalapeños with a hotter pepper like a Scotch bonnet or habanero.

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Substitutions & variations

You can use frozen corn, canned corn, or fresh corn for this Mexican street corn pasta salad. If you have time, char the corn in a skillet or on the grill for extra flavor. If you are in a hurry, thawed frozen corn or well-drained canned corn will still work.

If you do not have feta cheese, you can use cotija cheese or queso fresco instead. Cotija has a similar salty flavor, and queso fresco is a little milder.

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You can use all mayonnaise, all sour cream, or a mix of both for the dressing. Greek yogurt can also be used in place of some of the sour cream if you want a lighter, tangier dressing.

For more flavor, add fresh garlic, diced red onion, cooked and crumbled bacon, or paprika. For a heartier version, stir in black beans or grilled chicken, or add diced avocado right before serving.

If you want this pasta salad to be spicier, add hot sauce, cayenne pepper, or extra jalapeños. If you're making it for kids or just want it milder, leave out the jalapeños and use less chili powder.

Storing leftovers

This simple pasta salad tastes even better the next day, making it a great make-ahead option. It is flavorful when fresh, but the best flavor develops over a few hours.

Store leftover Mexican street corn pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep well for 4 to 5 days.

The pasta may soak up some of the dressing as it sits. If it seems dry, toss in a little extra mayonnaise, sour cream, Greek yogurt, and/or fresh lime juice before serving.

This pasta salad is best served cold or at room temperature. Do not freeze it because the creamy dressing can separate and the pasta may become mushy when thawed.

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Check out more delicious Pasta Salad recipes

• Asian Pasta Salad
• Cucumber Pasta Salad - This has a vinegar-based dressing, no mayo.
• Thai Peanut Chicken Salad
• Buffalo Chicken Pasta Casserole
• Leftover Turkey Salad Sandwiches
• BLT Salad with the Best Homemade Salad Dressing

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