Street Corn Pasta Salad
This street corn pasta salad brings together charred sweet corn, creamy chili-lime dressing, cotija cheese, and tender pasta in one big, satisfying bowl. It has all the bold flavors of classic Mexican street corn — smoky, tangy, a little spicy, and rich — tossed with pasta and made to feed a crowd. Perfect for potlucks, cookouts, and summer suppers when you want something that disappears fast.
Equipment
- Large pot
- Cast iron skillet or grill pan
- Large mixing bowl
- Colander
- Whisk
Ingredients
Pasta & Corn
- 1 lb rotini or cavatappi pasta cooked al dente, drained, and cooled
- 5 ears fresh corn husked, or 4 cups frozen corn, thawed
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/2 tsp salt for corn
Creamy Chili-Lime Dressing
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise Duke's preferred
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3 tbsp fresh lime juice about 2 limes
- 1 tsp lime zest
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt plus more to taste
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper adjust to taste
Mix-Ins
- 4 oz cotija cheese crumbled, about 1 cup
- 1/2 cup red onion finely diced
- 1 jalapeño seeded and finely minced
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro roughly chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved, optional
Garnish
- 2 tbsp cotija cheese extra for topping
- 1 tsp chili powder for dusting
- 1 lime cut into wedges
Instructions
Cook the Pasta
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions, but pull it about 1 minute early — you want it al dente, not soft. Drain, rinse with cold water to stop the cooking, and spread it out on a sheet pan to cool completely. Do not skip the rinsing step for cold pasta salads.
Char the Corn
- Heat a cast iron skillet or grill pan over high heat until it is very hot. Add the butter and let it sizzle. Working in batches if needed, lay the corn ears in the hot pan and let them char without moving them — about 2-3 minutes per side — rotating until all sides have good color and some black spots. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Once the corn is cool enough to handle, stand each ear upright in a large bowl and cut the kernels off with a sharp knife, working from top to bottom. You should have about 4 cups of charred corn kernels.
Make the Dressing
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, lime zest, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne. Taste and adjust seasoning — the dressing should be bold, tangy, and a little spicy. It will mellow once mixed with the pasta, so lean toward well-seasoned here.
Assemble the Salad
- In your largest mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, charred corn, red onion, jalapeño, and cherry tomatoes if using. Pour the dressing over everything and toss well to coat. Fold in half the cotija cheese and half the cilantro gently so you do not break things up too much.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving — this rest time lets the flavors marry and the pasta absorb that dressing. Right before serving, taste and adjust salt if needed, then top with the remaining cotija, a dusting of chili powder, and the rest of the cilantro. Serve lime wedges alongside.
Nutrition
Calories: 412kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 11gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 520mgPotassium: 310mgFiber: 3gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 420IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 112mgIron: 2mg
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