If you're looking for a summer pasta salad recipe that everyone will love, you have to make this elote pasta salad. It's so flavorful, so easy to make, and everyone will love it.
You'll love this elote pasta salad
It's so full of flavor. Truly this pasta salad does not lack any sort of flavor. The flavors of elote mixed with a creamy dressing, ugh, I just love it!
It's the perfect summer pasta salad. Truly so perfect! I love taking advantage of sweet corn season every summer, and any excuse to make a sweet corn recipe? I'm taking it.
It's so easy to make. It is so easy to make this Mexican street corn pasta salad, it's the perfect side dish.
Ingredients
Pasta. I used orecchiette pasta for this elote pasta salad, but you could also use mini shells or Ditalini pasta for this recipe.
Corn. You can use corn on the cob, grilled, or you can use canned or frozen corn. I opted for frozen corn, so that is what the directions below reflect. You still get all those delicious flavors of Mexican street corn, no matter what kind you use!
Red Onion. Pro tip, if you use red onion, or any onion in your summer pasta salads, rinse them under cold water! It gets rid of that super tangy onion taste, but still leaves just enough to add the perfect amount of flavor. You will want to save that little bit for summer pasta salad season.
Jalapeno. I chose to take the seeds out of this jalapeno, but if you want to add a bit of that spicy jalapeño flavor, leave the seeds in!
Cilantro. I love fresh cilantro, it adds such a bright flavor to this Mexican street corn salad.
Cotija Cheese. Salty cotija cheese is a must! I love using this cheese as the main source of that savory salty taste, and then adding just a little bit more salt when finishing the dish. This also makes for a great topper along with some fresh cilantro to make your pasta salad look straight out of a chef's kitchen! You can also use queso fresco.
Mayo. Mayo is a must for this dressing! The dressing is a mixture of mayonnaise and sour cream. I included some substitutions below if you're looking for different ways to make this dressing.
Sour Cream. I just used regular sour cream, but you could also use Mexican sour cream, or Mexican crema, which is a bit thinner in consistency.
Lime Juice. Of course, fresh lime juice is a must for this dressing! It adds the perfect bit of zest and sweetness.
Chili Powder. I love the smoky flavor and the spice that the chili powder adds to the dressing! It's the best flavor.
Cayenne Pepper. To add a little more spice and another level of flavor, I recommend using cayenne pepper, too.
Garlic Powder. I opted to use garlic powder as opposed to fresh garlic. You could always use fresh garlic, too!
Salt and Pepper. To round it out, I add a dash of salt and just a little bit of pepper to the salad.
How to make elote pasta salad
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, over medium heat, and cook your noodles according to the package directions.
- Drain the pasta, once cooked, and immediately run cold water over them to stop them from cooking while cooking.
- Set your pasta aside to cool.
- In a medium to large frying pan, roast your corn over medium-high heat with a dash of olive oil or butter.
- Once your corn is browned, should be about 5 minutes, pour your corn into a bowl and place it in the freezer for it to quickly cool down.
- Let your corn cool while you prepare your other pasta salad ingredients. Dice your red onion, seed dice your jalapeno and roughly chop your cilantro.
- In a large bowl, pour in your cooled pasta, red onion, jalapeno, cilantro, cojita cheese and corn.
- In a separate bowl, mix your dressing: sour cream, mayo, lime juice, chili powder, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and water.
- Pour over your pasta salad, and mix well.
- Top with additional cilantro and cojita cheese and enjoy!
Tip: For the best pasta salad results, I always recommend letting it cool in the fridge for at least 2 hours! If you can have your pasta salad sit overnight, that's even better. You need all the flavors to sit together to really bring the best pasta salad to the table.
Substitutions and variations
Veggies. You can add more veggies like green onions, black beans, or a bell pepper to this recipe.
Mayo. You can substitute mayo, or sour cream, for greek yogurt or avocado oil mayo if you are trying to lighten up ths elote pasta salad.
FAQs
What is elote dressing made of?
Elote dressing is made up of mayo, sour cream, fresh lime juice, chili powder, cayenne pepper, garlic, salt, and pepper.
How do you make pasta salad not soggy?
Cook your pasta for about 2-3 minutes past the al dente stage, according to the directions on the box. Then, run cold water over the pasta once you drain it.
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Want more summer salad recipes?
Elote Pasta Salad
Ingredients
PASTA SALAD
- 1 16 oz box pasta
- 4 cups of corn
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 1 jalapeno
- 1 bunch cilantro
- ½ cup red onion
- 1 cup cojita cheese
DRESSING
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup mayo
- 2 limes juiced
- 2 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon tajin or elote seasoning like TJs
- 2 tablespoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, over medium heat, and cook your noodles according to the package directions.
- Drain the pasta, once cooked, and immediately run cold water over them to stop them from cooking while cooking.
- Set your pasta aside to cool.
- In a medium to large frying pan, roast your corn over medium-high heat with a dash of olive oil or butter.
- Once your corn is browned, should be about 5 minutes, pour your corn into a bowl and place it in the freezer for it to quickly cool down.
- Let your corn cool while you prepare your other pasta salad ingredients. Dice your red onion, seed dice your jalapeno and roughly chop your cilantro.
- In a large bowl, pour in your cooled pasta, red onion, jalapeno, cilantro, cojita cheese and corn.
- In a separate bowl, mix your dressing: sour cream, mayo, lime juice, chili powder, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and water.
- Pour over your pasta salad, and mix well.
- Top with additional cilantro and cojita cheese and enjoy!
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