Elote Pasta Salad
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This elote pasta salad captures the bold flavors of Mexican street corn in a filling pasta dish. It’s perfect as a light meal or served as a side with your favorite grilled meats.
While I love the simplicity of Elote or Esquites, combining those flavors into a pasta salad feels like summer in a bowl.
I made this dish for a potluck the night before, and it tasted even better the next day, so it’s a great dish if you need to make something ahead of time.
Ingredient Notes
- Rotini Pasta– I like how the curls in rotini pasta catch all the yummy dressing. But feel free to use any pasta shape.
- Fire Roasted Corn– I love the smokiness you get from fire-roasted corn. If you get it frozen, just take the bag out and let it thaw while you make the pasta. You can also use regular corn or sauté it in butter for extra flavor.
- Mexican Crema– Mexican crema is similar to sour cream but in a liquid form. If you can’t find crema, then use sour cream or even Greek yogurt. The dressing will be a little thicker, but you can add a splash of water to thin it out.
- Mayonnaise– This gives the dressing some fat and flavor. Use your favorite brand.
- Queso Fresco– Traditionally, Cotija cheese is used on elotes, but I love the creaminess of queso fresco with pasta. Feel free to use cotija if you like.
- Tajin- This chili lime salt adds the perfect little kick to the elote pasta salad. You can find Tajin at most grocery stores or online.
Recipe Tips
- If you prefer more heat, add some diced jalapenos or a few dashes of cayenne pepper to the dressing.
- Add some diced roasted poblanos for a smoky flavor, like my roasted chile corn salsa.
- Garnish with extra queso fresco and cilantro before serving the elote pasta salad.
- This pasta salad contains dairy and mayo, so I recommend keeping it refrigerated before serving. Once refrigerated, you can leave it out at room temperature for up to an hour.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
What to serve with Elote Pasta Salad
Elote Pasta Salad (Mexican Street Corn)
This elote pasta salad captures the bold flavors of Mexican street corn in a filling pasta dish. It's perfect as a light meal or served as a side with your favorite grilled meats.
Servings 10
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 ounces Rotini Pasta or any pasta shape
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 16 ounces Fire Roasted Corn (thaw if frozen)
- 8 ounces Mexican Crema
- 4 ounces Mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons Lime juice
- 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 8 ounces Queso Fresco or Cotija (reserve 2 ounces for garnish)
- ½ cup Chopped Cilantro (reserve 2 ounces for garnish)
- Tajin (sprinkle on top before serving)
Instructions
- Add water to a large pasta pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add a teaspoon of salt and pasta. Stir occasionally and cook to al dente, according to the package directions.
- In a large bowl, combine the Mexican crema, mayonnaise, lime juice, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
- Crumble the Queso Fresco or Cotija cheese and set aside. Chop the cilantro into small pieces.
- Drain the pasta and add it to the bowl with the dressing. Add the roasted corn kernels and mix until combined. Add the crumbled queso fresco and chopped cilantro, reserving 2 ounces of both for garnishing. Taste the pasta salad for seasoning.
- If making ahead, refrigerate the pasta salad. When serving, garnish with the reserved queso fresco, chopped cilantro, and a sprinkle of Tajín.
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Video
Notes
You can substitute regular frozen corn kernels if you can’t find the fire-roasted variety. Alternatively, sauté regular kernels in butter in a skillet to develop some flavor.
The pasta salad tastes even better once the flavors have had time to develop. So making it overnight is a great option.
Leftovers can be stored for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 400kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 12gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 810mgPotassium: 279mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 409IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 179mgIron: 1mg
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only and depends on ingredients and amounts used. Thai Caliente makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
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