Creamy Grilled Street Corn Pasta Salad

Mexican street corn pasta salad in a bowl ready for sharing.

Creamy Grilled Street Corn Pasta Salad

Think of this as Mexican street corn meets creamy macaroni salad. Sweet grilled corn, tender pasta, cotija cheese, and fresh cilantro are tossed in a creamy mayo-and-sour-cream dressing packed with lime, pickled jalapeños, and garlic. It serves about 8, so there's plenty to share at your next BBQ, or potluck. Don't be surprised if it quickly disappears!

This recipe makes about 8 cups of pasta salad, enough for about 1 cup per serving.

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Diet Vegetarian

Keyword Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad, Street Corn Pasta Salad

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings - 10

Calories 336kcal

Author Traci York

Ingredients

For the Salad

2 cups (9.5 ounces / 265 grams) Elbow Macaroni Pasta
1 1/2 teaspoons Fine Sea Salt
5 ears Sweet Corn on the Cob shucked, silk removed. you'll need about 3 1/2 - 4 cups (about 500 grams) corn niblets
3/4 cup (50 grams) Green Onion sliced thin, about 4 green onions
3/4 cup (90 grams) Cotija Cheese crumbled or diced small (see note for subs)**
1/2 cup (25 grams) Fresh Cilantro chopped fine, about 1 small bunch

For the Dressing

1/2 cup (125 grams) Mayonnaise I like Vegenaise
1/2 cup (130 grams) Sour Cream
1/4 cup (60 grams) Fresh Lime Juice from about 3 large limes
2 teaspoons Fresh Minced Garlic about 2 large cloves
3 - 4 tablespoons Pickled Jalapenos chopped fine (adjust to taste)
1 1/4 teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 1/4 teaspoon Smoky Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder or Ancho Chili Powder
1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
4 tablespoons Water adjust as needed

Instructions

Cook The Pasta: Cook macaroni according to package directions, adding 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt at the start of cooking instead of the salt amount indicated on the cooking instructions (this can vary by brand). Stir often to prevent sticking. Cook until tender.
Drain in a colander, then rinse with cold running water, tossing and rinsing the pasta until it's cool to touch. Set aside.
Grill the Corn: Meanwhile, prepare the grill by oiling the grates with a high heat oil like avocado oil. Turn the grill on to preheat on highest setting and preheat for about five minutes. *Alternatively, see notes below to cook the corn on the stove top.
Place the corn on the grill and allow the kernels to char, rotating every few minutes as needed until all sides are lightly charred, about 8-15 minutes. Grills vary in their heat, so keep an eye on the charring.
Remove from grill and set at room temperature to cool. When the corn is just cool enough to handle, slice the kernels off the cob. To do this, stand the corn on one end in a pie plate and slice in a downward motion against the cob. The pie plate helps contain the corn niblets as they fall off the cob. Set aside.
Make the Dressing: In a large mixing bowl, whisk the mayo, sour cream, lime juice, garlic, jalapeños, cumin, paprika, chili powder, black pepper, and salt until smooth. Set aside in the refrigerator to keep cold until ready to assemble the salad.
Assemble the Salad: Into the mixing bowl with the dressing, add the pasta, corn kernels, green onions, cheese, and cilantro. Stir throughly so that all the corn and pasta is covered with dressing. Stir in 3-4 tablespoons water to loosen the salad as desired. Taste for salt adjustment. Share right away or refrigerate until ready to enjoy.
Store in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Notes

*Skillet Charred Corn: you can use a skillet (cast iron preferred) to achieve a similar charred corn result. Here’s what to do: cut the corn kernels off the cob and gently pan fry in a bit of oil over medium high heat, allowing the corn to set before stirring so that it has time to char on one side, about 2 minutes. Toss, then continue cooking until the kernels are lightly charred, or about 8-10 minutes total.

**Cotija Cheese may be subbed with: Queso Fresco – similar to cotija and often used interchangeably in elote recipes, it’s softer and has a milder flavor than cotija. Feta Cheese – a salty cheese and softer than cotija and queso fresco, but the flavor profile is similar. Parmesan Cheese – use grated Parmesan and a bit less of it as it’s quite salty.

Make it Egg Free / Gluten Free: make the salad with your favorite egg free mayonnaise, gluten free pasta and seasonings.

Note: Estimated nutrition is calculated with the added salt (2 teaspoons) in the recipe. 1 1/2 teaspoons is used to salt the pasta water, so some sodium will be lost when draining the pasta water.

Nutrition