Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad! If you love pasta salad, then you've gotta try this street corn version. Pasta, charred corn, creamy chili-lime dressing, and cojita cheese.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 4 ears corn, kernels removed (see note)
- 1 cup ditalini pasta, or other small pasta shape
- 1/3 cup mayo of choice*
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese or cojita cheese
- 1/2 cup sliced scallions
- 1 large jalapeno, seeded and diced
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet or a wok over medium heat. Add the corn kernels and cook until charred and hot, for about 10 minutes. For best results, let the corn cook in a single layer for 1-2 minutes before touching, then stir and let them cook again for 1-2 minutes before touching. This will let the corn kernels get nice and hot and slightly charred before stirring.
- While the corn is cooking, make the pasta. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil and add the ditalini. Cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse in cold water and let the water drain all the way out for about 5 minutes. This extra time to drain will prevent soggy pasta salad!
- In a large bowl, whisk together the mayo, lime juice, chili powder, smoked paprika, and feta. Add the cooked pasta and charred corn and toss together. Add the scallions, jalapeno, and cilantro and toss again. Season, adding salt if needed. I don't think you need extra salt as long as you use salted pasta water (and depending on the mayo/cheese you use).
Notes
This recipe is best with fresh corn on the cob; it doesn't taste quite the same with canned or frozen corn, but can work in a pinch.
*I have used ditalini in this recipe, which I think is the best after testing it with other shapes, like bowties (pictured here). Bowties work! However, IF you use a larger pasta shape, then you will need more dressing. For a noodle like bowties, I recommend cooking ~6 ounces of pasta and increasing the dressing to at least 1/2 cup mayo and 3 tablespoons lime juice. I find that this pasta salad tastes best when wet vs. dry.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 315kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 8gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 228mgPotassium: 272mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 406IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 77mgIron: 1mg