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Creamy Street Corn Pasta Salad

Creamy Street Corn Pasta Salad is a Mexican-American side dish with pasta shells or rotini loaded with charred corn, cotija cheese, jalapeños, and cilantro. Tossed in a spicy creamy dressing and chilled for a thick, clingy texture that’s spoonable straight from the bowl.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican-American
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta Salad Base
  • 1 lb pasta shells or rotini Use dried pasta; rinse after boiling for a cool, non-sticky salad.
  • 4 corn kernels, charred Char in a hot skillet until lightly blackened; cool before mixing.
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 0.25 cup lime juice
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 cup cotija cheese, crumbled Use half in the salad and the rest as a final topping.
  • 0.25 cup cilantro, chopped Top right before serving for fresh flavor.
  • 2 jalapeños, diced Adjust heat by removing seeds if desired.
  • 0.25 cup red onion, diced
  • salt and pepper Season to taste in the dressing.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook the pasta and char the corn
  1. Cook the pasta shells or rotini according to the package directions, then drain and rinse with cold water to cool it down and stop cooking.
  2. Char the corn kernels in a hot cast iron skillet until lightly blackened, then set aside to cool so they don’t melt the dressing.
Make the spicy creamy dressing
  1. Whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper until smooth and evenly combined.
Assemble and chill
  1. Combine the pasta shells or rotini, charred corn kernels, jalapeños, red onion, and half the cotija cheese in a large bowl.
  2. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat everything evenly, then spread out slightly for better chilling.
  3. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, covered, so the flavors meld and the dressing thickens.
  4. Before serving, top with the remaining cotija cheese and cilantro for a fresh finish and a visible pop of color.

Notes

Pro tip: rinse the pasta thoroughly with cold water so the salad stays creamy instead of gummy. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; it doesn’t freeze well due to the dairy dressing. For a lower-fat option, use light mayonnaise or Greek yogurt in place of some mayonnaise while keeping the sour cream for the classic tang.