Mexican Street Corn Pasta (Printer-friendly)

Creamy pasta tossed with charred corn, lime zest, and smoky spices for a flavorful summer side.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz (350 g) short pasta (penne, fusilli, or rotini)

→ Vegetables

02 - 2 cups corn kernels (fresh, canned, or frozen and thawed)
03 - ½ small red onion, finely diced
04 - 1 small red bell pepper, diced
05 - ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
06 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced

→ Dressing

07 - ⅓ cup (90 g) mayonnaise
08 - ⅓ cup (90 g) sour cream
09 - ½ cup (60 g) cotija cheese, crumbled (or feta as substitute)
10 - 1 clove garlic, minced
11 - 1 lime, zested and juiced
12 - 1 tsp chili powder
13 - ½ tsp smoked paprika
14 - ½ tsp ground cumin
15 - Salt, to taste
16 - Black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish (optional)

17 - Extra cotija cheese
18 - Additional cilantro
19 - Lime wedges
20 - Chili powder or Tajín for sprinkling

# Directions:

01 - Boil pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool.
02 - Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, add corn and sauté for 3–4 minutes until lightly charred; remove and cool.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, cotija cheese, garlic, lime zest, lime juice, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and black pepper until smooth.
04 - Add cooled pasta, charred corn, diced red onion, red bell pepper, cilantro, and green onions to the dressing. Toss thoroughly to coat.
05 - Taste and adjust salt, pepper, or spices as desired.
06 - Transfer the salad to a serving dish and garnish with extra cotija cheese, cilantro, chili powder or Tajín, and lime wedges if preferred.
07 - Serve chilled or at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's a crowd pleaser that works whether you're grilling or just hiding from the heat indoors.
  • The corn gets charred and sweet, tasting nothing like straight-from-the-can corn salad.
  • You can make it ahead and actually forget about it, which counts as a win in my book.
02 -
  • Cold pasta is essential—warm pasta absorbs dressing unevenly and turns mushy by the next day.
  • The charred corn is not optional; it changes everything by adding depth and slight bitterness that balances the creamy dressing.
  • Make this at least two hours ahead if you can—the flavors meld and taste even better cold.
03 -
  • Don't skip the lime zest—it adds brightness that juice alone can't deliver, so use a microplane and get every bit of that fragrant outer layer.
  • If your cotija is extra salty, go easy on additional salt in the dressing and taste constantly as you build it.
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