Description
Elote Pasta Salad is a vibrant, creamy, and slightly smoky dish inspired by Mexican street corn. This refreshing pasta salad features grilled corn charred to perfection, combined with a zesty lime and creamy mayo-sour cream dressing, enhanced with cotija cheese, fresh cilantro, and a touch of jalapeno heat. Perfect for summer gatherings or as a flavorful side dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Grilled Corn
- 4 cobs corn, husked
Pasta
- 12 ounces medium pasta (such as rotini or elbow macaroni)
Salad Mix-ins
- ¼ cup finely diced red onion
- â…“ cup chopped fresh cilantro (plus extra for garnish)
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
- ½ cup cotija cheese (or feta, crumbled, divided)
Dressing
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 small limes, juiced and zested (½ tablespoon lime zest, 3 tablespoons lime juice)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika (or ancho chile powder)
- ½ teaspoon salt (more to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Grill the Corn: Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Remove the husks from the corn cobs and place them directly on the grill. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally to ensure even charring. Once lightly charred all over, remove from the grill and allow the corn to cool completely. After cooling, cut the kernels off the cob and set them aside.
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook it until al dente according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta and rinse it thoroughly under cold running water to stop the cooking process and cool it down. Set aside to drain fully.
- Prepare the Dressing: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime zest, lime juice, minced garlic, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Ensure all ingredients are well combined to create a smooth and flavorful dressing.
- Combine the Salad: To the dressing in the bowl, add the cooked pasta, grilled corn kernels, finely diced red onion, chopped cilantro, diced jalapeno, and two-thirds of the cotija cheese. Toss everything thoroughly to evenly coat the pasta and vegetables with the dressing and blend the flavors.
- Chill and Serve: Cover the salad and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld and the salad to chill. Before serving, sprinkle the remaining cotija cheese and extra chopped cilantro over the top as garnish for added texture and freshness.
Notes
- For extra smoky flavor, you can use smoked paprika instead of regular paprika or ancho chile powder.
- If cotija cheese is unavailable, feta cheese is a great substitute, but the flavor will be slightly different.
- Seed the jalapeno to reduce heat, or leave seeds in if a spicier salad is preferred.
- This salad can be prepared a day ahead; just keep it refrigerated and add garnishes right before serving.
- Consider adding a pinch of cayenne pepper if you like more heat.
- Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
