Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
Mexican street corn pasta salad is rainbow of bold flavors like tangy lime juice, Cotija cheese, cilantro, and red bell peppers all held together with a creamy dressing. This bold pasta salad will have everyone coming back for seconds at your next barbecue or potluck!
Picnic season is upon us!
And in the South, it’s an unwritten but widely accepted rule that you should never show up at a picnic or barbecue empty handed.
Mexican street corn pasta salad is the perfect dish to take along with with you.
Everyone loves it and it comes together in only 20 minutes!
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need:
- Corn– Defrosted frozen corn or fresh corn removed from the cob after it’s been cooked
- Pasta– Rotini or another short to medium pasta cooked al dented, drained and cooled
- Mayonnaise– Real, full fat mayo and not mayonnaise style dressing or Miracle Whip.
- Sour cream– Full fat is best.
- Lime juice– Fresh
- Garlic cloves– Minced or pressed
- Seasonings– Chili powder, dried dill, salt, and black pepper
- Veggies– A red bell pepper seeded and diced, diced red onion, chopped green onions, and diced jalapenos
- Cheese– Bother Cotija cheese and grated or shredded Parmesan
- Cilantro– Fresh cilantro chopped
How to Make
This Mexican street corn pasta salad is pretty easy to make.
Make sure the corn is thawed and the pasta is cooked al dente according to the instructions on the package.
Then mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, garlic cloves, chili powder, dried dill, coarse kosher salt, and black pepper together until fully combined in a large bowl.
Fold the corn, pasta, red bell pepper, onions, jalapenos, ½ cup Cotija cheese, parmesan cheese, and 3 tablespoons cilantro into the dressing mixture until everything is incorporated.
Top with 2 tablespoons of cilantro and 1 tablespoon cotija cheese.
Serve immediately or refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Enjoy!
Storing Leftovers
Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
Tips and Tricks
- In place of cotija cheese, you can use feta cheese.
- Cook the pasta to al dente.
- This salad is best served within an hour, as the sauce is creamy.
- Adjust the herbs and seasonings to your liking.
Other Street Corn Inspired Recipes
Mexican street corn pasta salad is a delicious variation on the popular dish.
Make it and enjoy!
Looking for other Mexican street corn inspired recipes?
Try these:
If you’ve tried this MEXICAN STREET CORN PASTA SALAD, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 10 ounces frozen corn defrosted
- 8 oz rotini pasta cooked to al dente, drained, and cooled
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 1/8 tsp coarse kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1 red bell pepper seeded and diced
- 1/4 cup diced red onion
- 3 green onions chopped
- 2 tbsp diced jalapenos
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp Cotija cheese divided
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated or shredded
- 5 tbsp cilantro chopped and divided
Instructions
- For the corn leave it overnight in the fridge or place in the microwave on defrost for 3-4 minutes.10 ounces frozen corn
- Cook the pasta for 7-10 minutes or until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water until the pasta is cool.8 oz rotini pasta
- In a large bowl add the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, garlic cloves, chili powder, dried dill, coarse kosher salt, and black pepper. Mix until fully combined.1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 cup sour cream, 3 tbsp lime juice, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp dried dill, 1/8 tsp coarse kosher salt, 1/8 tsp black pepper
- To the bowl add the corn, pasta, red bell pepper, onions, jalapenos, ½ cup Cotija cheese, parmesan cheese, and 3 tablespoons cilantro. Mix until everything is incorporated.1 red bell pepper, 1/4 cup diced red onion, 3 green onions, 2 tbsp diced jalapenos, 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp Cotija cheese, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- Top with 2 tablespoons of cilantro and 1 tablespoon cotija cheese.5 tbsp cilantro
- Serve immediately or refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Notes
- In place of cotija cheese, you can use feta cheese.
- Cook the pasta to al dente.
- This salad is best served within an hour, as the sauce is creamy.
- Adjust the herbs and seasonings to your liking.
