Sweet, golden yellow, juicy corn. It’s beautiful this time of year and I just can’t get enough. Which is why my challenge was to come up with more and more recipes featuring this superb vegetable. So I took some inspiration from my three delicious corn recipes – Mexican Corn On The Cob, Mexican Street Corn Salad with Avocado, Air Fryer Elotes, and Corn Salad with Black Beans.
But I wanted more of a potluck type dish that would be perfect for serving at the many summer picnics my husband and I have been attending. So I thought an elote corn salad with pasta salad would work wonders!
And it certainly does not disappoint! This Mexican Corn pasta salad with corn is a super filling side dish, it’ll be the hit at your next summer get-together!
How to make this recipe?
The recipe for Mexican sweet corn pasta salad has 3 folds:
First, cook the corn in one of two ways (but with three choices, more on that later!) – on the grill (or grill pan) or in a skillet. I prefer the grill method, but with the weather being so hot, sometimes cooking indoors on a grill pan or in a large skillet gets the job done.
How to cook corn on the grill on grill pan
For the grill method, pull back the husks and tie with kitchen twine. Lightly brush the cobs with oil or melted butter and season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, heat an outdoor grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill the corn, turning occasionally with a set of tongs until charred in spots, about 2 minutes per side.
Cut the corn kernels from the cob and transfer to a large bowl to cool. While the corn is cooling, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water according to the time on the package, drain, and transfer to the bowl with the corn.
How to cook corn in a skillet
For the skillet method, cut the corn kernels from the cob.
Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Saute the corn, seasoning with salt and pepper, for 5-7 minutes, or until slightly caramelized and charred in spots. Transfer to a large bowl to cool.
While the corn is cooling, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water according to the time on the package, drain, and transfer to the bowl with the corn.
Second, make the chili-lime dressing by mixing together the mayo, sour cream, chili powder, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Taste and adjust your seasonings as necessary, keeping in mind the cotija cheese for garnish is slightly salty!
Finally, assemble the roasted corn pasta salad by tossing the dressing with the corn and pasta, then add the chopped jalapenos, onion, and cilantro. Give it a gentle toss, making sure the dressing is evenly distributed. Transfer to a large salad plate and garnish with crumbled cotija cheese and cilantro!
Ingredients for Mexican Pasta Salad with Chili Lime Dressing
- Summer-Sweet Fresh Corn, canned or frozen can be substituted (we’ll get to that in a sec!)
- Vegetable Oil or Melted Butter, whichever flavor you prefer
- Salt & Pepper, of course
- Dry Pasta, I used Cellentani
A quick note on pasta that I used: Cellentani is also known as cavatappi (affiliate link), a delightful corkscrew-shaped pasta. It’s fun and festive and works beautifully in pasta salads because of its tubular center, ridged surface, and sturdy texture. If you cannot find it in the grocery store, fusilli or farfalle (bow-tie) pasta work just as well.
- Mayo, I prefer Vegan Mayo, but regular mayo will work just fine
- Sour Cream
- Chili Powder
- Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
- Jalapenos, with the seeds and ribs removed for less spice
- Red Onion
- Fresh Cilantro
- Cotija Cheese, but feel free to substitute crumbled Feta or Queso Fresco cheese, too!
What kind of corn should I use for Mexican Pasta Salad with Corn?
I’m glad you asked! While I am a big fan of any pasta salad with fresh corn, to make this recipe year-round and still get that sweet corn flavor, you can use canned or frozen corn in place of the fresh.
Three Types of Corn
- Fresh – During the spring and summer months, fresh is best! I used 6 ears of fresh corn for this recipe, which will yield about 4 ½ – 5 cups.
- Canned – If fresh is not in season, canned corn is an easy substitute. For this recipe, you will need 3 (15 oz) cans of corn. Just make sure to drain and rinse to wash away some of the extra salt in the canned variety.
- Frozen – I prefer frozen, however, if fresh is not available. Three (10 oz) bags should yield the same amount required for this recipe. And the beauty of frozen corn is that the kernels are already off the cob, which saves you a step. Even better, there is no need to thaw! Simply add 1-2 minutes extra cooking time when sauteing the frozen corn in a skillet.
Variations For This Recipe:
One of the reasons why I love this Mexican pasta salad is because it is so versatile. Here are a few ways you can change it up:
- Mexican Tuna Pasta Salad – add 2 (6 oz) cans packed Tuna (in oil or water, whatever your preference), slightly drained, when tossing with the remaining ingredients
- Mexican Pasta Salad with Ham or Bacon – add 4 oz thick-cut, cubed deli ham or 8 slices smokey, cooked bacon that has been broken up into bits
- Mexican Pasta Salad with Salsa – toss in a ½ cup of your favorite salsa when adding the remaining ingredients
- Mexican Black Bean Corn Pasta with Avocado – add 1 (15 oz) can drained and rinsed black beans with 2 cubed avocados when you add the remaining ingredients
Expert Tips:
- Making this Mexican pasta salad recipe at the last minute? It tastes terrific served either warm or cold, so no need to worry if it is still warm come party time.
PRO TIP: If you toss the dressing with the corn and pasta while they are still slightly warm, they will better absorb the tangy, spicy flavors of the dressing! - Want to make this fresh corn pasta salad a few days beforehand? Simply assemble the pasta salad 1-2 days in advance and make a double recipe of the chili-lime dressing, but do not garnish with the cotija cheese or cilantro. On the day you are going to serve, give it another gentle toss, and, if needed, add a few more tablespoons of the dressing since the pasta will have absorbed some of it over time. Finish with the garnishes and save the remaining dressing for your weekday salads.
- Looking for leftovers? This roasted corn pasta salad will keep covered, in the fridge, for 4-5 days. Sadly, I would not recommend freezing this pasta salad, however, as it becomes soggy and gummy over time. Enjoy it best throughout the week as a flavorful Mexican corn side dish.
FAQs
This roasted corn salad only has 353 calories! Not too bad for a pasta salad side dish that will make you feel full and satisfied!
Other Mexican recipes you might like:
- Mexican Quinoa Recipe – Vegan
- Mexican Stuffed Peppers – A crowd-pleaser & perfect for meal plans
- The Best Vegan Chili Recipe – The ultimate healthy comfort food
- Vegetarian Mexican Breakfast Casserole – Perfect for weekend mornings
- Homemade Corn Tortillas – My foolproof recipe with step-by-step photos
- Pasilla Sauce – Perfect for authentic huevos rancheros
- Corn Shrimp Salad – Perfect for summer grilling!
- Brisket for Tacos – Slow Cooked
- Easy Mexican Chipotle Salsa – Vanilla and Bean
Other pasta recipes you might like:
- Caprese Pasta Salad with Pesto – Gluten-Free
- Eggplant Pasta – Vegetarian & Meal-Worthy
- Pasta with Mushrooms and Peas – A vegetarian dinner made with spring produce
- Pumpkin Sage Pasta – Flavored with creamy creme fraiche
- Baked Ziti with Ground Beef – A crowd-pleaser that freezes well
- Barefoot Contessa Shrimp Scampi – From the queen’s cookbook.
- Eggplant Pasta Bake – A vegetarian baked ziti recipe
Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
For The Corn:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or melted butter
- 6 ears of corn kernels cut from cubs – Approximately 4 ½ to 5 cups
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Pasta:
- 8 oz. of dry pasta I used cellentani, but fusilli and farfalle (bow tie) would also work.
For The Mexican Corn Dressing:
- ¼ cup mayonnaise I prefer this vegan mayo – affiliate link
- 3 tablespoons sour cream
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ cup lime juice freshly squeezed (from 1 ½ to 2 limes)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
For The Mexican Corn Salad:
- 2 medium-size jalapeno seeded and sliced/chopped
- ½ cup red onion chopped finely
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped – more to use as garnish
- ½ cup cotija cheese crumbled
Instructions
For The Grilled/Roasted Mexican Street Corn Salad Recipe:
- To prep the corn: Fold the husk of each corn back leaf by leaf and tie them with kitchen twine. Lightly brush corn on the cub with oil.
- Heat a grill pan or an outdoor grill. Grill corn, turning occasionally until it is charred in spots. Keep an eye on it as this happens rather quickly.
- Cut the corn off the cob and place the corn in a large bowl. Set aside to cool.
- While the corn is cooling, cook the pasta following the instructions on the package. Once cooked, drain and transfer to a bowl. Add in the roasted corn.
- To make the Mexican Corn Dressing (Chili Lime Dressing): Mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, chili powder, lime juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
- To assemble the Roasted Corn Pasta Salad: Pour the chili lime corn dressing over the corn. Add in jalapeno, onion, and cilantro. Give it a gentle toss. Make sure that the dressing is distributed equally throughout the salad.
- Transfer the pasta salad to a salad plate and top it off with cotija cheese and garnish with cilantro.
For The Skillet-Roasted Mexican Street Corn Salad Recipe:
- To prep the corn: Cut the corn off the cob. I used 6 ears to get about 4 ½ to 5 cups. Alternatively, you can also use canned corn or frozen corn. If using frozen, you do not need to thaw it out.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the corn, and stirring frequently, sauté for 5-7 minutes until it starts to get (lightly) charred. If you are using frozen corn, you might need to cook a few minutes longer. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- While the corn is cooling, cook the pasta following the instructions on the package. Once cooked, drain and transfer it to the bowl with the sauteed corn.
- To make the Chili Lime Dressing: Mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, chili powder, lime juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
- To assemble the Mexican Corn Pasta Salad: Pour the chili-lime dressing over the corn. Add in jalapeno, onion, and cilantro. Give it a gentle toss. Make sure that the dressing is distributed equally throughout the salad.
- Transfer the pasta salad to a salad plate and top it off with cotija cheese and garnish with cilantro.
Greg Bauer
I loved this recipe. The best salad I’ve ever made.
Aysegul Sanford
Awww.. This makes me so happy Greg. Thanks for coming by.
Tricia
Thank you for this salad. My husband can not stop raving about it! It is a truly wonderful salad.
Aysegul Sanford
I am thrilled to hear that you liked this recipe Tricia. Thanks for coming by and taking the time to leave a review.
Megan
So freaken good!! I’m eating it right now. None of the stores had cotija cheese so I went with queso Fresca Cheese, otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly. Thank you!! I love it!
Aysegul Sanford
YAY! So happy to hear that you liked it Megan. Queso fresco would work perfectly too.
Thanks for coming by! Cheers.
Kimberly
When grilling the corn do you remove the silk and why tie the husks back do your reuse them later to cover the corn to steam??
Aysegul Sanford
Hello Kimberly,
Good questions!
First question: I personally don’t care for the silk so I remove it. You don’t have to but I feel like it doesn’t do anything to the overall salad to make it delicious. Though it is a personal preference.
Second question: I tie the husks at the bottom so that I can use them as a handle to turn the corn as it grills instead of having to use tongs. Again, a personal preference. You can remove them and use tools to grill your corn evenly.
I hope I answered your questions. Please let me know if I can help you in any other way.
Cheers!
Amy Rose
Made this for dinner tonight and loved it! We can’t have dairy right now so we skipped the cheese crumbles and added black beans and avocado instead. Pretty sure this will be a weekly meal in our house this summer! 🙂
Aysegul Sanford
Hi Amy,
I LOVE the idea of adding black beans into the salad. Avocado is always a nice addition too. 🙂
So glad to hear that you enjoyed the recipe. It is as a usual in our house too.
Cheers!
Suzy
Pasta is huge in our house and we love using fresh ingredients to go along with it! Adding fresh sweet corn was amazing! Love it!
Aysegul Sanford
It is huge in our house too. So glad you liked it Suzy. Thanks for stopping by.
Julie
I love Mexican street corn and I love pasta salad, so this could not be any better! It’s so flavorful and so delicious! Definitely will be making this again!
Aysegul Sanford
YAY! So glad to hear that Julie. This is music to my ears.
PS: I am a huge fan of Mexican Street Corn as well. 🙂
Toni
This was so good! A huge hit at my house!
Aysegul Sanford
So happy to hear that! Thanks Toni.
wilhelmina
This was fantastic! My whole family loved it!
Aysegul Sanford
Great to hear that. Thank you Wilhelmina.
Liz
This is a summer must make! I adore the flavors and it never lasts long!!!
Aysegul Sanford
So happy to hear you liked it Liz. Thanks for coming by.
Carol Rodgers
Having made your Mexican Street Corn recipe a million times, this recipe did not disappoint. My two teenage sons devoured it. I added some garlic into the dressing per your suggestion in your street corn recipe.
It was great. Thanks for all the helpful tips and beautiful photos.
Aysegul Sanford
YAY! This is music to my ears Carol. So happy to hear you and your family liked this recipe.
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment.
Cheers!