Description
Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad is a vibrant and flavorful dish combining tender pasta with sweet corn, a creamy tangy dressing, and traditional Mexican spices. Perfect for potlucks, picnics, or as a refreshing side dish, this salad features a zesty blend of lime, chili powder, and cotija cheese that brings the taste of street corn into a versatile pasta salad format.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked rotini or penne pasta
- 2 cups corn (grilled, frozen, or canned)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/3 cup crumbled cotija cheese
Dressing Ingredients
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine pasta and corn: In a large bowl, add the cooked and cooled rotini or penne pasta along with the corn (whatever type you prefer: grilled, frozen, or canned). Mix gently to combine.
- Prepare the dressing: In a separate bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until the mixture is smooth and well blended.
- Dress the pasta: Pour the creamy dressing over the pasta and corn mixture. Toss thoroughly but gently to ensure all the pasta and corn are evenly coated with the flavorful dressing.
- Add the final touches: Fold in the chopped fresh cilantro and crumbled cotija cheese delicately, distributing them throughout the salad for bursts of freshness and savory flavor.
- Chill before serving: Cover the salad and place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. This allows the flavors to meld together and the salad to chill, making it more refreshing when served.
Notes
- Use fresh grilled corn for the best authentic street corn flavor, but frozen or canned corn works well too.
- Cotija cheese can be substituted with feta if unavailable.
- Adjust the lime juice and chili powder according to your preferred level of tanginess and spiciness.
- This salad tastes even better the next day once the flavors have fully combined.
- For a lighter option, use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream and mayonnaise.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes (pasta is pre-cooked)
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Mexican
Keywords: Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad, pasta salad, Mexican pasta salad, cotija cheese pasta, summer salad, creamy pasta salad, rotini salad
