Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
This Mexican Street Corn pasta Salad is a vibrant fusion of creamy macaroni salad and zesty elote flavors. It features tender pasta tossed with corn, salty cotija cheese, and a tangy lime dressing for the ultimate summer side dish. This recipe easily doubles to feed a crowd.
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Ingredients
- 8 oz. uncooked corkscrew pasta rotini or cavatappi preferred
- ⅓ cup light mayonnaise Hellmann's or Duke's
- ¼ cup light sour cream Daisy's or Breakstone's
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 large (or two medium) lime(s) juiced and divided
- 2 cups corn grilled, roasted, canned, or defrosted from frozen
- ¼ cup red onion finely diced
- ¼ cup jalapeño seeded, finely diced; optional to reserve a few slices to place on top before serving
- ½ cup crumbled cotija or feta cheese divided
- 1 teaspoon tajin seasoning (optional); for extra zing and color pop sprinkled on top before serving
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente; drain in colander and allow to cool.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the mayo, sour cream, seasonings and half of the lime juice.
- Add the corn, diced onion and jalapeño; mix well.
- Fold in the cooled, drained pasta and half of the cotija or feta cheese; mix.
- Street Corn Pasta Salad can be enjoyed right away, but tastes better when it chills in the fridge for an hour.
- Just before serving, add the remaining lime juice and mix. Then sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Optional to also sprinkle on tajin seasoning.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro or additional pepper slices if desired.
- Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated. Best enjoyed with 5 days.
Notes
When making pasta salads, it's helpful to cook the noodles only to al dente. Noodles are like sponges and absorb dressings as they sit, which softens them further. If you overcook the noodles from the start, they will most likely fall apart in the salad.
Finely dice the onion and jalapeño for easier eating. I like to reserve some additional jalapeño rounds to place on top to make it look pretty when I serve this salad.
We add additional lime juice before serving to give the salad a more fluid and smooth consistency (the longer the salad sits, the less creamy it gets because the noodles absorb the dressing).
Nutrition
Calories: 274kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 9gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 385mgPotassium: 260mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 369IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 92mgIron: 1mg
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