How long do leftovers last?

Store leftover elote pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just a heads-up: the pasta will soak up some of the dressing as it sits, so if it feels a little dry later on, just stir in some extra dressing or a spoonful of mayo and some spices to bring it back to life.

Can you make elote pasta salad ahead of time?

Absolutely! I find that it tastes even better after chilling in the fridge for a few hours - the flavors really come together. Just be sure to save a bit of the dressing to drizzle over or mix through right before serving and wait to add the garnishes until the end.

Wait... why are we rinsing the pasta?!

I know, I know - rinsing cooked pasta is usually a no-no. But for pasta salad, it's totally the right move! The cold water stops the cooking process and washes off that extra starch so that your pasta doesn't turn into one big sticky clump.

Elote Pasta Salad (Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad)

Description

Elote Pasta Salad! Everything you love about Mexican street corn but turned into a super delicious pasta salad. Smoky charred corn, salty cotija cheese, a little jalapeno kick, fresh cilantro, red onions and a creamy, tangy chili lime dressing to bring it all together. It’s so good!

Ingredients

Scale

For the pasta salad:

1 pound (454 grams) uncooked short-cut pasta, any shape you like
4-5 cups roasted or grilled corn kernels (see notes)
1 cup crumbled cotija cheese (reserve some for garnish)
½ cup diced red onion
1 jalapeno, finely diced
¼ cup chopped cilantro (or flat-leaf parsley)

For the creamy chili lime dressing:

1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
2 limes (zest and juice)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon Tajín (or other chili lime seasoning)
2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste

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Instructions

Cook pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain and immediately rinse the cooked pasta under cold water until completely cool. Make sure it’s well drained, then transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Add the rest: Add the remaining pasta salad ingredients to the bowl with the cooked and cooled pasta.
Make dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients until it’s smooth and creamy.
Combine and chill: Pour about ¾ of the dressing over the pasta salad and toss together until everything’s coated. Cover and pop it in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour so all those flavors can really come together.
Garnish and serve: When it’s time to serve, drizzle the rest of the dressing over the top and sprinkle over the reserved crumbled cotija cheese, some extra Tajín and fresh cilantro if you’re into it. Enjoy!

Notes

Roasted or Grilled Corn: The goal here is corn kernels with that smokey, slightly charred flavor. Here are a few ways to make it happen. The simplest route is using frozen roasted corn – just thaw it and you’re good to go. If you’re up for grilling, throw some fresh corn on the grill until it’s nicely charred in spots, then let it cool and slice off the kernels. Or try the skillet method: heat a little avocado oil in a hot cast iron pan, then toss in fresh or frozen corn kernels and sauté over high heat until charred in spots. Just be sure to work in batches if needed so the corn roasts instead of steaming. Any of these methods will add great flavor to your salad!
Cook your pasta just a bit extra: Go about 1-2 minutes past al dente. It helps keep the pasta nice and tender even once cold.
Chili powder PSA (for my international friends): The chili powder in this recipe is the American kind (a mild blend of spices, not straight-up ground chilies). The dressing will light your mouth on fire if you use the wrong kind.