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A colorful bowl of street corn pasta salad featuring corn, pasta, and fresh herbs.

Street Corn Pasta Salad

A bright, buttery pasta salad that mimics the flavors of street corn with a creamy dressing, charred corn, and crumbly cotija.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Calories: 350
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main Ingredients
  • 400 g pasta (penne, fusilli, or cavatappi recommended) Bronze-die or higher-quality semolina pasta recommended.
  • 2 cobs roasted corn, kernels removed Use fresh corn if in season; otherwise, thaw and roast frozen corn.
  • 3 green onions, thinly sliced Look for bright green tips.
  • 1 shallot, finely minced Should be translucent and not overpowering.
  • 2 jalapeños, finely minced (seeds optional) Remove seeds for milder heat.
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
  • 1 cup cotija cheese, crumbled Can substitute with feta or pecorino cheese.
  • 1 cup sour cream For a lighter version, swap half for Greek yogurt.
  • 1/2 cup mayo
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 lime, juice and zest
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp salt (plus pepper to taste) Taste as you go due to saltiness of cotija.
  • olive oil for roasting and tossing

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Roast the corn by husking it and heating a skillet over medium-high heat with olive oil. Fry the ears, turning occasionally for 10-15 minutes until charred. Slice kernels off the cob.
  2. Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water to al dente, drain, and toss with olive oil.
  3. Prep green onions, shallot, jalapeños, cilantro, garlic, and cotija.
  4. Whisk together sour cream, mayo, garlic, lime zest and juice, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper for the dressing.
Assembly
  1. Combine corn, most of the cotija, and pasta in a bowl. Pour dressing over, fold gently to coat. Stir in green onions, shallot, jalapeños, and cilantro. Top with remaining cotija.
  2. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Notes

Chill uncovered for 20 minutes initially to keep surfaces from becoming waterlogged, then cover. For texture issues where pasta is soggy, reduce cooking time by 1–2 minutes and rinse briefly under cold water.