20-Minute Creamy Street Corn Pasta Salad

This 20-minute street corn pasta is loaded with fire-roasted corn, Cotija, and a deliciously tangy, creamy dressing. It’s quick and easy to throw together, made up of mostly pantry ingredients you’ve probably already got in your kitchen!

I bring this pasta salad to every summer party.

• The flavors of this street corn pasta salad are out of this world. The creamy dressing has just the right amount of tangy lime flavor with a subtle hint of spice. It’s got enough mayo to give it some serious creaminess, but not so much that it feels heavy. Mix that with perfectly al dente pasta, fire-roasted corn, and fresh chopped cilantro, and this is a side dish that dreams are made of!
• It consists mainly of pantry ingredients. This is one of those recipes where we pretty much have everything on hand at all times and can throw this salad together at a moment’s notice! Frozen or canned corn, pasta, mayo, sour cream, lime, chili powder – the only thing we sometimes don’t have is Cotija cheese, in which case I’ll substitute queso fresco or feta cheese instead!

Here’s how it all comes together.

Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Toss with 2 teaspoons olive oil, salt, and pepper and set aside to cool to room temperature. Or pop it in the fridge to speed up the cooling process. 

Add sour cream, mayo, 2 tablespoons olive oil, chili powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, lime zest and juice, and a couple large pinches of salt and pepper to a large bowl.

Mix until well combined, smooth, and creamy.

Add cooled pasta, corn, Cotija, and cilantro to a large bowl.

Pour most of the dressing over the pasta.

Toss until everything is well coated.

Transfer to a serving platter, drizzle with the remaining dressing, and garnish with fresh chopped cilantro.

Hold off on the Cotija if you’re making this ahead.

• If you’re prepping this ahead of time (like 24 hours in advance or more) – I have one recommendation! DON’T ADD THE COTIJA UNTIL JUST BEFORE SERVING.
• The Cotija will soak up a lot of the moisture from the dressing as it sits, and you may end up with a dry pasta salad. Which is literally the horror of all backyard barbecue horrors.
• Adding the Cotija just before serving allows the dressing to thoroughly coat every nook and cranny of the pasta, but keep it moist and tender instead of dry and bleh.
• Add half the dressing initially and toss to coat the pasta, then add the remaining dressing and the Cotija just before serving. Save some Cotija to garnish on top!
• This should prevent the pasta salad from drying out.
• Remember, if you’re just prepping this 8ish hours in advance, no need to do anything differently. Add the Cotija at the normal time and go about your business as usual.

Just in case you have leftovers.

• This street corn pasta salad will last for 4-5 days in the fridge, which makes it a favorite meal prep side dish.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. I recommend adding a splash of extra dressing or half and half just before serving.
• Then season to taste with salt and pepper and enjoy!

Things I learned while testing this recipe.

• Moderately salt your pasta water! Salting the pasta water is the first step in seasoning this dish, and it’s going to do a lot to boost the flavor of the pasta itself. I recommend adding about 2 tablespoons of Kosher salt to the boiling water before adding the uncooked pasta. You want the pasta water to be as salty as the sea, literally. Once you start salting your pasta water, you will never stop, I promise.
• Cook the pasta just until al dente. Nothing ruins a pasta salad quicker than mushy, overcooked pasta. I like to cook the pasta for 1 minute less than the lowest recommended cooking time on the package directions. So if the package recommends 9-11 minutes, I start (carefully) tasting the pasta after 8 minutes, pull it off the heat, and strain it as soon as it’s al dente.
• If sweet corn is in season where you are, you can definitely use corn on the cob instead of frozen corn! There’s no need to cook the corn before adding it to the pasta salad. Freshly cut, uncooked corn from the cob is one of life’s greatest pleasures. OR if you have leftover grilled corn on the cob – cut it from the cob and use that!

This is a very Midwestern interpretation.

My street corn pasta salad recipe is in no way meant to be an authentic version. This is very much a Midwestern twist on a Mexican classic. I have used some of the same flavors of Mexican street corn and translated them into a quick and easy pasta salad.

My intention is always to honor the origins of the recipes that I am recreating. If you are looking for a traditional Elote recipe, here is a delicious one that you should definitely try!

Y’all have had some thoughts about this recipe.

“Made this for my family on 4th of July and it was a hit, everyone loved it” -Diane

“Great recipe. Huge hit at a party. I grilled corn on the cob over charcoal.” -Mark

“I found this recipe about 3 months ago and have made it half a dozen times. I cannot even get over how good it is. I share your recipe with every person I know. So good!” -Jennifer

Here’s what I’d serve with this street corn pasta salad.

• Wisconsin beer brats
• pulled pork sandos
• crispy baked chicken tacos
• slow cooker pork carnitas
• sheet pan chicken fajitas
• chips and queso

More easy pasta salad recipes for your eating pleasure.