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This elote pasta salad, also known as Mexican street corn salad, is loaded with charred corn, cotija cheese, and a creamy dressing.
I served it with baked bbq chicken, and it turned out incredibly delicious.
If you’ve been on TikTok recently, you’ve probably seen this pasta salad, it’s really popular, and for good reason. It’s super easy to make, a little tangy, a bit spicy, creamy, and perfect as a side dish for the warm days coming up.
Table of Contents
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
See the recipe card below for ingredient quantities and complete instructions.
- Corn – Fresh, canned, or frozen corn works for this recipe. If using frozen corn, make sure to thaw it completely.
- Pasta – I used pasta shells, but feel free to use any type of short-shaped pasta.
- Lime – Lemon works too!
- Cotija – If you can’t find cotija cheese at your local supermarket, feel free to substitute it with goat cheese, parmesan cheese, or feta cheese.
- Spices – I used granulated garlic, chili powder, and cayenne pepper but use the spices of your choice! Tajin can be used as well. Also, if you’re not a fan of spice, omit the cayenne pepper.
Top Tip
If you’re not eating this right away and plan to put it in the fridge, cover it well. Before serving, add a spoon of mayo to make it creamy again because it can dry out. Then taste it and add more salt and pepper if needed.
Feel free to include some crispy bacon for extra flavor and crunch!
More Pasta Salad Recipes
Elote Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb pasta shells , cooked in boiling salted water til al dente
- ½ cup plus 3 tbsps mayo
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ lime, juiced
- 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper , optional
- 1 ½ cups corn
- ½ cup cotija cheese
- 3 scallions, finely sliced
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, finely minced
- 3 tablespoons butter
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the butter to a skillet and allow it to melt. Once the skillet is hot, add the corn and cook it for 6-7 minutes while stirring occasionally. Once the corn is nicely charred, remove it from the skillet and let it cool completely.
- In a large bowl, mix the mayo, sour cream, spices, and lime juice and season with salt and pepper.
- Fold in the cooled corn, the cooled pasta shells, and the remaining ingredients. Check for seasoning and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
