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Street Corn Pasta Salad

Street corn pasta salad with smoky chili-lime crema coats rotini and gets charred corn kernels for real elote-style flavor. Tossed with jalapeño, cilantro, and plenty of crumbled cotija, it’s a bold Tex-Mex summer pasta side with a tajín finish.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
chilling 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Rotini pasta
  • 12 oz rotini pasta Cooked and cooled
Charred corn
  • 3 cup corn kernels Fresh or frozen, charred in a dry skillet
Aromatics and herbs
  • 0.25 cup red onion Finely diced
  • 1 jalapeño Seeded and minced
  • 0.25 cup fresh cilantro Chopped
Cheese
  • 0.5 cup cotija cheese Crumbled
Chili-lime crema dressing
  • 0.5 cup mayonnaise
  • 0.25 cup Mexican crema or sour cream
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tsp lime zest
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.25 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 Tajin for topping For topping

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Make the chili-lime crema dressing
  1. Whisk together mayonnaise, Mexican crema or sour cream, lime juice, lime zest, chili powder, smoked paprika, and garlic powder until smooth.
Char the corn
  1. Heat a dry cast iron skillet over high heat, then cook corn kernels until charred in spots, about 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally with a spatula so they brown rather than steam.
Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Cook rotini pasta in boiling water until al dente, then drain and cool completely so the salad stays creamy instead of gummy.
Toss the salad
  1. Combine cooled pasta, charred corn, red onion, jalapeño, and fresh cilantro in a large bowl.
Coat and finish
  1. Pour the dressing over the pasta and toss to coat; fold in cotija until the cheese is evenly distributed.
Chill and serve
  1. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the flavors meld, then taste and adjust lime juice or chili to your preference.
Garnish
  1. Top with extra cotija and a generous dusting of Tajin for topping, then serve with lime wedges.

Notes

For the best char, don’t overcrowd the skillet when charring corn—cook in batches if needed. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; the tajín may soften slightly but the flavor stays strong. Freezing isn’t recommended. For a lighter option, use light mayonnaise and reduced-fat cotija (or a cotija-style feta) while keeping the same chili-lime ratios.