Description
A creamy, tangy Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad packed with bold flavors like sautéed corn, cotija cheese, jalapeños, and a chile lime dressing. Perfect for BBQs, potlucks, or a quick and healthy meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 16 oz rotini pasta
- 2 (15 oz) cans golden kernel corn
- 1 cup cotija cheese (or feta), crumbled
- 2/3 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 small/medium red onion, diced
- 1.5 large jalapeños, deseeded, deveined & diced (about 1/3 cup)
- Olive oil
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup real mayonnaise
- 3–4 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (heaping)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
Instructions
- Boil the rotini pasta in a large pot of generously salted water until al dente. Drain and let cool completely.
- While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Drain the corn and sauté it until browned and slightly seared. Set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta, sautéed corn, chopped cilantro, diced red onion, diced jalapeños, and crumbled cotija cheese.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, lime juice, chili powder, garlic, cumin, salt, cayenne, and black pepper until smooth.
- Pour about two-thirds of the dressing over the pasta salad and toss to coat. Reserve the remaining dressing for refreshing leftovers.
Notes
- Salt the pasta water generously to season the pasta properly.
- Only cook the pasta until al dente to avoid a mushy salad.
- Sautéing the corn enhances its natural sweetness and adds a grilled flavor.
- Adjust jalapeños and cayenne to control the heat level.
- For added protein, mix in black beans, grilled shrimp, or chopped bacon.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Boiling, Sautéing
- Cuisine: Mexican-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (approx.)
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 420mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 7g
- Cholesterol: 25mg