Juicy Street Corn Pasta Salad (Printable Version)
Vibrant pasta salad with charred corn, creamy lime dressing, and crumbled cotija cheese.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 12 oz short pasta (rotini, penne, or fusilli)
→ Vegetables
02 - 4 ears fresh corn (or 3 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed)
03 - 1 small red bell pepper, diced
04 - 1/2 small red onion, finely diced
05 - 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
06 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
→ Dressing
07 - 3/4 cup mayonnaise
08 - 1/2 cup sour cream
09 - 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
10 - 1 tsp chili powder
11 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
12 - 1/2 tsp ground cumin
13 - 1/2 tsp salt
14 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
→ Cheese
15 - 3.5 oz cotija cheese or feta, crumbled
→ Optional Garnishes
16 - Extra cilantro
17 - Lime wedges
18 - Chili powder for sprinkling
# Directions:
01 - Boil pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water, and cool.
02 - Grill or skillet-char corn over medium-high heat until marked and tender, 8–10 minutes. Cool, then cut kernels from cobs. Sauté frozen corn in dry skillet until golden.
03 - Whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper until smooth.
04 - Add cooled pasta, corn, bell pepper, onion, jalapeño, and cilantro to dressing. Toss until evenly coated.
05 - Gently fold crumbled cotija into salad. Adjust seasoning to taste.
06 - Refrigerate at least 15 minutes. Garnish with cilantro, lime wedges, and chili powder if desired.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The creamy dressing clings to every curve of pasta while fresh corn adds pops of sweetness
- It travels beautifully and actually tastes better after the flavors mingle for a bit
02 -
- Rinsing pasta with cold water is nonnegotiable it prevents sticking and cools it down for the salad
- The salad needs those 15 minutes of chilling time or the dressing will taste separate from the pasta
03 -
- Grill extra corn and freeze the kernels for future batches
- Use a sharp knife and stand the corn cob upright in a bowl to catch flying kernels