Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

Bring this Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad, loaded with grilled corn and topped with a tangy lime dressing, to a summer BBQ and watch it disappear!

So, what happens when you cross the goodness of traditional Mexican Street Corn with pasta?!  You get this irresistible pasta salad that will be the hit of your next summer party!  Every time I make it, it pretty much disappears!

The inspiration for this recipe came from one of my friends, who brought Mexican Street corn out on the boat one afternoon.  It was so good that everyone was asking for more, and while I love the traditional version it can be a bit challenging to make for a crowd so I came up with the idea to turn it into a salad.  Making it the perfect party or picnic side dish!

I’ve been on a little bit of a corn kick lately!  But it is summer and sweet corn from the farmer’s market or local farm stand is just oh so good!  This recipe starts out with some really great grilled corn.  We all know fresh grilled sweet corn is pretty hard to beat when it comes to summer veggies!   There are many ways to grill corn, but in this case, you want to go with fully shucked cobs, cooked directly on a pretty hot grill.   Some of the kernels will begin to pop and char, giving the corn a rich, nutty flavor.

What’s the Best Way to Grill Corn?

You’ll hear a lot of debate about the “best” way to grill corn, at least I do amongst my friends.  My answer is it depends on what you are going to do with it!  You can actually grill it with husk on or off.  Just last weekend we debated this and ended up trying it all three ways – husk on, husk off straight on the grill and husk off wrapped in foil.   They all ended up being delicious!   When I’m mixing it into something,  I prefer grilling the corn with the husk off so it gets nice and charred.  For just straight-up eating I actually prefer to wrap it in foil so it stays super tender.   Nothing wrong with the husk on option, but personally I think it’s just a bit messy dealing with hot, burnt corn husks and silk!

So, what exactly is Mexican Street Corn?

Street corn or Elote is a dish made up of cooked sweet corn on the cob smothered in a spicy mixture of mayonnaise, crema, and chili powder and then sprinkled with cheese.   It’s a popular snack sold by vendors both on the streets and at festivals in Mexico.  It’s become really popular in many other places, especially the US, as it’s really great picnic and BBQ food!

Up next, you make the irresistible spicy lime dressing that is out-of-this-world delicious!    On the day I did my first test of this salad one of my friends tried a bit of the dressing before I put it on the salad and she told me she could drink the dressing!  Well, maybe not such a good idea, but it really is amazing!!  Plus the best part is you just whisk it together and it’s ready to go.  I have a couple of friends who are vegan, so I’ve been making a few dishes like this pasta salad that are either vegan or can easily be vegan by leaving something on the side, like the cheese in this one.

I have a couple of friends who are vegan, so I’ve been making a few dishes like this pasta salad that are either vegan or can easily become vegan by leaving something on the side, such as the cheese in this one.

To finish it off you’ll combine that delicious dressing with the grilled corn, some pasta and a few other veggies.  This is really the ultimate summer salad.  It’s taken a while to get it on the blog, partly because every time I make it, it seems to disappear before I can photograph it!!

additional notes from the kitchen

• The recipe calls for a plain, vegan mayo for the dressing.  If you want to give it a little extra kick you could use a Siracha flavored mayo.  If you don’t regularly use vegan mayo and don’t want to buy it just for the recipe, you can substitute regular mayo.
• In the summer I really try to get fresh corn from the local farmer’s market or a farm stand whenever possible as it’s just a little fresher and sweeter than what you can get in your local grocery store.

Things You May Want for This Recipe

Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

★★★★★ 5 from 5 reviews

• Author: Kathryn | FoodieGirlChicago
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4
• Category: Salads

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Description

Bring this Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad, loaded with grilled corn and topped with a tangy lime dressing, to a summer BBQ and watch it disappear!

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Ingredients

For the salad: 

• 4 ears of sweet corn (will yield approximately 2 cups once off the cob) 
• 1 tbsp olive oil 
• 2 cups uncooked cavatappi pasta 
• 1/4 cup chopped green onion 
• 1/2 cup chopped red or orange bell pepper 
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1/3 cup crumbled cotija cheese (optional) 
• Extra lime for serving, if desired

For the dressing: 

• 1/3 cup vegan mayo (you can use regular if you prefer) 
• 1 tsp lime zest 
• 1/8 tsp sea salt 
• 1/8 tsp ground pepper 
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice 
• 2 tsp finely minced jalapeno

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Instructions

1. Preheat a grill to medium high heat.  Husk the corn and rub with the olive oil.  
2. Place the corn on the grill and cook for 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes until all sides begin to char slightly.  
3. While the corn is cooking add the pasta to a large pot and just cover with water.  Cook according to package directions (about 10 – 12 minutes).  Drain the pasta and let cool slightly.  
4. When the corn is cooked, remove from the grill and let cool slightly.  Remove the kernels from the cob using a sharp knife or corn removal tool.  
5. Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, using a fork to whisk everything together.  
6. To assemble the salad, add the pasta to a large mixing bowl.  Add the corn, green onion, red onion and cilantro.  Mix well.  Top with the dressing and toss to coat.  
7. If you don’t want a vegan version top with the cheese.  If you want to keep it vegan, serve with the cheese on the side.