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Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

Mexican street corn pasta salad with charred corn, crunchy peppers, and a creamy cilantro-lime dressing. This elote salad style pasta is chilled for 2 hours so every bite turns tangy, spicy, and packed with flavor.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican-American
Calories: 560
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

rotini or shells pasta
  • 1 lb rotini or shells pasta Use dry pasta; cook to al dente for best texture in salad.
corn kernels
  • 5 cup corn kernels Char in a hot skillet until lightly blackened for smoky elote flavor.
red bell pepper
  • 1 red bell pepper Dice small so it distributes evenly through the pasta.
jalapeño
  • 1 jalapeño Dice finely; remove seeds for less heat.
red onion
  • 0.5 cup red onion Dice for crisp bite in every forkful.
mayonnaise
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
sour cream
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
lime juice
  • 0.3333333333 cup lime juice Fresh lime juice gives the best brightness.
chili powder
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
cumin
  • 1 tsp cumin
garlic powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
cotija cheese
  • 1 cup cotija cheese Crumbled; add right before serving for the best texture.
cilantro
  • 0.25 cup cilantro Chopped; reserve a little for finishing.
salt
  • salt To taste.
pepper
  • pepper To taste.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Cook rotini or shells pasta according to package directions until al dente, then drain and rinse with cold water.
Char the corn
  1. Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat, then char corn kernels until lightly blackened, stirring often, about 5–7 minutes.
Make the cilantro-lime dressing
  1. Whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until smooth.
Assemble the salad
  1. Combine pasta, charred corn kernels, red bell pepper, jalapeño, and red onion in a large bowl.
  2. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until every piece is coated.
Chill and finish
  1. Refrigerate the pasta salad for at least 2 hours so the flavors meld.
  2. Top with cotija cheese and cilantro right before serving for a fresh, crumbly finish.

Notes

For the cleanest texture, cool the pasta with cold water and let the charred corn come down to near room temperature before mixing—this prevents the dressing from loosening. Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 3 days; stir once before serving. Freezing isn’t recommended because the creamy dressing can break. If you want a lighter option, use a 1:1 Greek yogurt replacement for half the mayonnaise to keep the tang while cutting richness.