This creamy street corn pasta salad is going to become the star of every picnic this summer! Tender pasta, fresh corn, Cojita cheese, cilantro and jalapenos tossed in a spiced creamy mixture.
If you love street corn, check out my recipe for classic street corn or Elote dip!
STREET CORN PASTA SALAD
Elote pasta salad is going to become your go-to side dish to take to any potluck, gathering or party! This easy street corn pasta salad is creamy, sweet, smoky and fresh. A pasta salad spin on the popular Elote. Fresh corn, tender pasta, Mexican cheese, jalapenos and cilantro tossed in a creamy, smoky dressing. A great make ahead salad, perfect no matter what the occasion!
WHAT YOU NEED-
- Pasta– You can use any of your favorite short pasta for this salad; elbow, rotini, shells, penne, fusilli, farfalle, or even cavatappi pasta. Either regular, protein or gluten free pasta can be used.
- Corn– Either fresh corn or canned corn can be used. You can use both sweet yellow and white corn for this salad.
- Onion– For the best results, you want to use finely chopped red onion or sweet onion. If you don’t like onions, you can leave the onion out.
- Jalapeno– Adding freshly diced jalapeno to this salad gives it a slight kick and more flavor! I recommend using fresh jalapeno for this Elote pasta salad.
- Cheese– To achieve all the right Mexican street corn flavors, you want to use cotija cheese which is a crumbled Mexican cheese. You can swap Mexican cheese for Feta cheese!
- Cilantro– Freshly chopped cilantro brings so much additional flavor to this recipe! If you are not a cilantro fan, you can leave it out.
- Sour Cream– For the creamy mixture, you may want to use regular or light sour cream. You can also use Mexican crema instead, just add less lime since the crema is thinner than sour cream. For a light version you can totally swap the sour cream for plain Greek yogurt.
- Mayo– Adding a little bit of mayo to the salad dressing, gives it extra creamy flavors! You can use your favorite mayo for this dressing.
- Lime– To add a tangy flavor to this dip, use freshly squeezed lime juice! If you only have lemon on hand, you can also use lemon juice.
- Garlic– Freshly minced garlic is always a great idea! This adds additional bold flavors.
- Flavor– To season this pasta salad, the dressing calls for salt, pepper, paprika and chili powder. You can also use street corn seasonings blend!
HOW TO MAKE ELOTE PASTA SALAD
Have this creamy, flavorful Elote pasta salad recipe ready in no time!
- Cook the pasta according to package instructions, drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, prepare all the ingredients for the salad. In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the salad dressing.
- In a large mixing bowl, add all the ingredients for the elote pasta salad and then pour in the dressing. Toss until well combined, adding more dressing if desired.
- Top the salad with additional crumbled cheese, cilantro and paprika.
- Serve immediately or cover in chill in the fridge until ready to serve!
SALAD INGREDIENT VARIATIONS-
You can totally add more ingredients to this salad to make it heartier! Here are some great ingredients to add to this street corn pasta salad:
- Black Beans
- Bacon
- Avocado
- Chicken
- Crushed Tortilla Chips or Fritos
QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE:
No! You can totally skip the pasta and make a Street Corn Dip. You can also use gluten free pasta if preferred.
If you are using fresh corn then you want to either boil, grill or air fryer before. But if using canned corn, just drain and use it! If you want the corn to have a little charred taste, you can totally sauté the corn before.
Yes, just be sure to thaw the corn before adding to the salad.
For the best results, you want to use crumbled Mexican cotija cheese, but you can also substitute with crumbled feta cheese.
Yes! This street corn pasta salad is a GREAT make-ahead salad. You can make it up to 2-3 days ahead of time. I like to leave a little bit of dressing to mix in right before serving.
Cover and store this street corn pasta salad in the fridge for 3-4 days!
OTHER PASTA SALAD RECIPES TO TRY:
Street Corn Pasta Salad (Elote Pasta Salad)
Ingredients
- 6 oz short pasta rotini, gemelli, penne, campanelle
- 30.5 oz canned sweet corn 2 cans
- 1/3 cup fresh jalapeno chopped
- 1/3 cup red onion finely chopped
- 1 cup Mexican cojita cheese crumbled
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro finely chopped
Dressing-
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup mayo
- 3 Tbsp lime juice
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain water and rinse pasta with cold water. Set it aside and allow it to cool.6 oz short pasta, rotini, gemelli, penne, campanelle
- In a large salad bowl, add the cooled pasta and the rest of the ingredients for the salad.30.5 oz canned sweet corn, 2 cans, 1/3 cup fresh jalapeno, chopped, 1/3 cup red onion finely chopped, 1 cup Mexican cojita cheese, crumbled, 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped, 6 oz short pasta, rotini, gemelli, penne, campanelle
- Prepare the salad dressing in a small bowl, by mixing all the ingredients until creamy.1/2 cup sour cream, 1/3 cup mayo, 3 Tbsp lime juice, 3 garlic cloves , minced, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp paprika, ½ tsp chili powder, ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- Add the salad dressing to the salad and mix until well combined. (Taste and adjust the seasonings to desired taste.)
- Top the street corn salad with some additional crumbled Mexican cheese and cilantro.
- Serve immediately or cover and chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
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