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This Elote Pasta Salad is everything you love about Mexican street corn, tossed with pasta and a smoky, tangy sour cream dressing. This salad is vegetarian-friendly, ready in 30 minutes and perfect for a Summer bbq or potluck!
Table of Contents
Recipe Highlights
- Bold flavour: if you find pasta salads bland I promise you this one is anything but! It’s packed with bold smokey flavour and a little spice!
- Perfect for summer entertaining: Great for BBQs, potlucks, and picnics. It travels well and feeds a crowd.
- Make-ahead: It’s meal-prep friendly and can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge.
- Customizable: Use gluten-free or high-protein pasta and add any veggies you love.
If you’ve ever had elote (also known as Mexican street corn), you know there’s nothing boring about it. This pasta salad takes all those flavours like sweet grilled corn, cotija, lime, chili and cilantro and turns them into something you’ll want to bring to every summer gathering.
I love making Elote Pasta Salad during Summer corn season when the corn is fresh. If you’re looking for more crowd-pleasing salads, my Kale Caesar Pasta Salad and Southwest Quinoa Salad are two other favourites that travel well.
The dressing for this salad is made with a base of sour cream (no mayo here!) and is creamy, savoury and a little smokey. You can even double the dressing and use some on my Summer Corn Tomato Salad!
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Pasta: Any short pasta works such as rotini, fusilli or penne. use gluten-free pasta if needed or a high-protein pasta is preferred. The shape I use is Fusili Bucati Corti. I also use this shape to make my Lemon Garlic Pasta which makes a delicious dinner!
Corn: Grilled ears of corn give the best flavour here. That slight char is what makes it taste like true Mexican street corn! If you don’t have a grill, you can char the corn in a cast iron skillet on the stovetop or if needed just boil the corn. Frozen corn or canned corn can work in a pinch, but fresh is SO worth it. Use extra corn to make some Vegan Corn Chowder.
Cotija cheese: This is a salty, crumbly Mexican cheese that’s essential to the elote flavour profile. If you cant find cotija you can substitute with feta.
Sour cream: This makes the base of the creamy dressing. For a lighter swap you can use Greek yogurt.
How To Make Elote Pasta Salad
*This is a recipe overview. The full recipe with measurements is below in the recipe card.
Step 1: grill the ears of corn.
Step 2: let cool and slice off the corn kernels.
Step 3: Add the salad ingredients to a mixing bowl.
Step 4: Toss with the dressing and serve.
What To Serve With This Salad
This one fits right in at any summer spread! It pairs well with grilled proteins like chicken, shrimp, or burgers. Serve it alongside some Cauliflower Tinga Tacos, some Black Bean Corn Quesadillas or my Jalapeño Popper Chicken Salad. It also works great as a standalone lunch straight from the fridge!
How To Store
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The pasta may absorb some of the dressing as it sits, so give it a stir and add a squeeze of lime or a small spoonful of sour cream or a drizzle of olive oil to loosen it back up before serving.
Jess’s Tips
- Grill the corn: If you can, don’t skip this! It’s what makes this taste like actual elote rather than just a corn pasta salad. A hot grill or cast iron pan both work.
- Salt the pasta water: this seasons the pasta and is key to taking a pasta salad from bland to flavourful.
- Rinse your pasta with cold water: This stops the cooking and keeps the pasta from clumping or soaking up all the dressing before serving.
- Make it ahead: Prep the salad ahead of time as needed and dress right before serving. My Pesto Pasta Salad also makes a great make ahead dish!
- Adjust the heat: Adjust the jalapeño as needed. For a kid-friendly or milder version, remove the seeds or swap for a smaller amount of jalapeño.
- Season generously: Cotija is salty, but the pasta needs seasoning too. Taste after tossing and add more salt, pepper or lime as needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Elote is Mexican street corn, typically grilled on the cob and topped with crema, cotija cheese, chili powder, lime juice, and cilantro. This pasta salad is inspired by those same flavours!
Cold or at room temperature are best!
Yes! If you need to feel free to substitute. But if it’s corn season I highly recommend making it with fresh corn on the cobb.
Try These Salad Recipes Next!
Tried this Elote Pasta Salad? Leave a review below and tag me @choosingchia on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook I love seeing your recreations!
Elote Pasta Salad
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: salad
- Method: Mix
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Elote Pasta Salad is smoky, tangy, and loaded with bold Mexican street corn flavour in every bite. It’s the ultimate summer side dish that comes together in under 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pasta, cooked
- 1/3 cup cotija cheese, crumbled
- 2 ears of corn, grilled
- 1/3 cup jalapeño peppers, chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion, diced
- 1/3 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
Dressing
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
- Grill the corn on a preheated grill over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until lightly charred, about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly, then cut the kernels off the cob. You can alternatively boil the coin if you prefer.
- Whisk together the sour cream, avocado oil, lime juice, minced garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until smooth.
- Add the cooked pasta, corn kernels, cotija cheese, jalapeño, red onion, and cilantro to a large bowl. Pour the dressing over top and toss until everything is evenly coated.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
Grill the corn for the best smoky elote flavour, a grill or cast iron pan both work.
Salt the pasta water well to season the pasta from the inside out.
Rinse the pasta with cold water to stop cooking and prevent clumping.
Make the salad ahead and add the dressing just before serving.
Adjust the jalapeño to taste by reducing or removing the seeds for less heat.
Taste before serving and add more salt, pepper, or lime as needed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 365
- Sugar: 3g
- Fat: 20g
- Carbohydrates: 34g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 8g
