Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
All the authentic flavors of elote are combined in this great tasting Mexican street corn pasta salad: grilled corn, mayonnaise, chili powder, and cotija cheese.
Servings: 10
Ingredients
For Salad:
- 8 ounces uncooked pasta (rotini, macaroni, farfalle)
- 6 ears fresh corn, husked and rinsed (or 4 cups frozen or canned corn)
- 1 cup finely diced red bell pepper (about 1 pepper)
- ½ cup finely chopped green onions (about ½ bunch )
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup finely diced jalapeño pepper, seeds and membranes removed (about 1 large pepper)
- 8 strips bacon, cooked and chopped (about 4 ounces)
- ½ cup crumbled cotija cheese
For Dressing:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice (zest the lime first!)
- ½ teaspoon lime zest
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce, more to taste (I like Frank's RedHot)
Instructions
- Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain and rinse well with cold water, tossing to make sure it is all cooled.8 ounces uncooked pasta
- Heat a grill pan or a grill to medium. Add corn and cook, turning occasionally until slightly charred. Let cool slightly before cutting off the kernels. Place kernels in a large bowl.6 ears fresh corn, husked and rinsed
- Add pasta to corn, along with bell pepper, green onions, cilantro, jalapeño, cooked bacon, and crumbled cotija.1 cup finely diced red bell pepper, ½ cup finely chopped green onions, ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, ¼ cup finely diced jalapeño pepper, seeds and membranes removed, 8 strips bacon, cooked and chopped, ½ cup crumbled cotija cheese
- In a measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients: mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, lime zest, chili powder, cumin, salt, and hot sauce.½ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup sour cream, ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice, ½ teaspoon lime zest, 1 teaspoon chili powder, ¼ teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon hot sauce, more to taste
- Pour dressing over pasta and vegetable mixture, and stir until well-combined.
- Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Video
Notes
- Variations: Omit the bacon to make a vegetarian salad. You can easily make this a main dish salad by stirring in shredded or rotisserie chicken, pinto beans, or another protein of your choice. If you can't find cotija cheese, substitute shredded Parmesan, cheddar, or a Mexican cheese blend.
- Add-ins: Try adding chopped tomatoes, green pepper, or sweet onions.
- Make ahead/storage: The components of the salad can be made ahead, and refrigerated separately (cook the pasta, corn, and bacon, make the dressing, chop up the peppers and onions). Once the salad is made, you can refrigerate it for up to 4 days. Stir well before serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 231kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 516mg | Potassium: 165mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 737IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 1mg
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