Street Corn Pasta Salad

You have to try this street corn pasta salad — it’s basically all the best parts of elote (Mexican street corn) tossed with pasta and a creamy, tangy dressing. It’s smoky, cheesy, and just packed with flavor. I made it for a BBQ last weekend and it disappeared so fast. It’s super easy to throw together and makes the perfect side dish for cookouts, potlucks, or honestly just lunch straight from the fridge. You’re gonna love it.

Course Appetizer, dinner, lunch, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Mexican

Keyword corn pasta salad, elote pasta salad, Mexican pasta salad, street corn pasta salad

Prep Time 20

optional chill 1

Total Time 1 20

Servings cups

Calories 164kcal

Author Brandi Crawford

Equipment

Serving Dish

Ingredients

6-7 oz pasta I used rotini.
3 oz cream cheese softened.
½ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons lime juice This was 1 medium-sized lime for me.
2 tablespoons olive oil Optional; I like to add it to give the pasta more moisture.
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper Optional for spicy.
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
12 oz corn kernels This was about 1 ½-2 cups. I used frozen grilled corn.
⅓ cup Cojita cheese

Instructions

Cook the pasta in accordance with the instructions on the package. Remove the pasta from the pot. Rinse it with cold water and drain well.
6-7 oz pasta
Combine the sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt), cream cheese, lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, and spices in a large bowl or serving dish. Stir to combine.
3 oz cream cheese, ½ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons lime juice, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste, 2-3 tablespoons chopped cilantro, 2 tablespoons olive oil
Fold in the pasta, corn, and Cojita cheese.
12 oz corn kernels, ⅓ cup Cojita cheese
Chill for 1 hour or serve immediately.
It’s okay if it looks a little extra creamy when you first mix it. A lot of the dressing will penetrate into the pasta, so you'll get amazing flavor, but you may lose some of the texture. If it looks a little dry after chilling, stir in a bit of sour cream, or even a splash of milk or lime juice to freshen it up.
Pasta absorbs moisture as it sits, so refreshing it with extra dressing helps bring back that creamy texture.

Notes

How to Make it Creamier: Add more sour cream, mayo, or Greek yogurt. These are your creamy base ingredients — just a couple extra spoonfuls can make a big difference.

Short pasta shapes like rotini, penne, or shells hold the dressing well and mix easily with the corn and toppings.

Cotija cheese is traditional, but you can also use queso fresco or even feta in a pinch.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 164kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 10g