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Healthy Street Corn Pasta Salad

Healthy street corn pasta salad with elote-style charred corn, cotija, cilantro, and lime in a creamy Greek-yogurt dressing. Pasta shells or rotini get tossed with jalapeño and chilled for a tangy, spoonable Mexican pasta salad.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican-American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta
  • 1 lb pasta shells or rotini Use 1 lb dry pasta.
Corn
  • 4 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen, charred) Char until lightly blackened.
Creamy lime dressing
  • 0.5 cup Greek yogurt Plain Greek yogurt recommended.
  • 0.25 cup mayonnaise For a creamy texture.
  • 0.25 cup lime juice Fresh preferred.
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 0.5 tsp cumin
  • 0.5 salt and pepper to taste Season dressing and adjust to preference.
Street corn toppings
  • 0.5 cup cotija cheese, crumbled Use half in the salad and half for topping.
  • 0.25 cup cilantro, chopped Added before serving for fresh flavor.
  • 1 jalapeño, diced Adjust quantity for heat tolerance.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook and rinse the pasta
  1. Cook the pasta shells or rotini according to package directions, then drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking and cool it down.
Char the corn
  1. Heat a hot skillet over high heat and char the corn kernels until lightly blackened, stirring occasionally for even browning.
Make the creamy dressing
  1. Whisk together Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy.
Toss the salad
  1. In a large bowl, combine the pasta, charred corn, diced jalapeño, and half the cotija cheese.
Coat and chill
  1. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until everything is coated, then refrigerate for 1 hour.
Finish and serve
  1. Before serving, top with the remaining cotija and chopped cilantro for a fresh, vibrant finish.

Notes

Pro tip: For best “elote” flavor, char the corn in a very hot skillet so you get browned edges without overcooking. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; freeze is not recommended because pasta texture can soften after thawing. For a lighter swap, replace mayonnaise with more Greek yogurt (or use all Greek yogurt) while keeping the lime and seasonings the same.