Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad brings the best of both worlds together. Delicious bold flavors of a classic Elote tossed with some bowtie pasta for an exciting twist.
Ingredients
For Pasta Salad:
- 3 cups gluten-free farfalle/ bow tie pasta (uncooked)
- 4 corn ears
- 2 jalapeño peppers
- 1/2 red onion
- 1 cup cilantro
- 1/2 cup cojita cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
For Dressing:
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1 tsp pink sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
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Fill up a medium saucepan with about 1.5 quarts of water. Place on stovetop and bring to a boil on high heat. Once water starts bubbling and boiling, generously salt it. Give it a stir and add in your bowtie pasta. Cook according to package instructions. Once pasta is done cooking, drain and place in a large mixing bowl. Set aside as you prep the rest of ingredients.
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While pasta is boiling and cooking, preheat grill on medium-high heat. Shuck corn, rinse and pat dry. Place corn on preheated grill. Grill your corn for 15 minutes slightly turning it every 2-3 minutes so that it grills evenly. Remove corn from grill and place it on a baking sheet pan. Set aside and allow it to cool-down so it can be handled.
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In a small mixing bowl combine all ingredients for dressing; mayo, lime juice, pink sea salt, black pepper, paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and cumin. Whisk until well combined and a creamy consistency has been reached. Place dressing in the fridge and keep it refrigerated until the salad is ready.
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Thinly dice red onion, seed jalapeños and thinly dice them, thinly chop cilantro. Add all prepped ingredients to bowl with cooked pasta.
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Remove corn kernels from the cob by grabbing the corn with one hand holding it up on the sheet pan. Carefully cut down on the sides until all kernels have been removed. Add corn kernels to the bowl with the rest of ingredients.
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Add in parmesan cheese and cojita cheese. Give salad a good toss making sure everything is well combined. Drizzle dressing over pasta salad and once again give it a good toss.
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Keep salad refrigerated for at least 30 minutes to an hour. Salad is best served chilled. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Tips and Substitutions:
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- Grill corn if possible- This recipe is best with grilled corn. It gives that salad that authentic smokey char flavor you get from a traditional Elote.
- Preheat your grill- This will prevent corn from sticking to it and will grill corn evenly at the same temperature on every side.
- Place grilled corn on large baking sheet pan or in a large mixing bowl to remove kernels from the cob- This will make it easier to cut and less messy.
- Cook pasta al-dente- Whether you are using gluten-free pasta or conventional, make sure you cook it according to package instructions. You don't want your pasta undercooked or overcooked as it will get too mushy once mixed with the rest of ingredients.
- Use other types of pastas- Fusilli, rotini or cavatappi are all great to make pasta salad.
- Substitute for Cojita cheese- You can use feta.
- Substitute for mayo- Greek yogurt makes for a great substitute.
- Not a fan of Jalapeños?- If you want less heat use green bell peppers, poblano peppers or omit all together.
- Chill your pasta- This pasta is best served cold. Allow it to chill for at least 30 minutes to an hour.