Elote Pasta Salad

    Guys, I’m obsessed with elote, so obviously I had to turn all that smoky, creamy, cheesy, lime magic into a pasta salad big enough to feed a crowd. This one’s guaranteed to disappear fast!

    Overhead shot of elote pasta salad in a serving bowl.

    Why You’ll Be Obsessed

    • Street Corn Vibes: All the creamy, tangy, cheesy flavor of Mexican elote in pasta salad form. All of my pasta salad dreams are coming true!
    • Party Showstopper: This pasta salad is bold, creamy, and basically guaranteed to have people asking, “Who brought this?!”
    • Secret Ingredient = Cotija: Salty, crumbly, and totally essential. It melds perfectly with the creamy dressing! Don’t even think about skipping it.

    Ingredients for Elote Pasta Salad

    Overhead shot of labeled salad ingredients.
    • Corn: This recipe uses canned corn, but you can also use 4 ears of fresh corn or 30 oz of frozen corn.
    • Pasta: You can use any kind of pasta you prefer; rotini, bowtie, elbow, or shells are great options.
    • Heat Level: Leave out the jalapeño if you don’t want any spice in your salad. 
    • Add-In Options: Try adding chicken, rinsed black beans, or diced bell peppers for more texture!
    Overhead shot of labeled Elote pasta salad dressing.
    • Sour Cream Substitution: For a protein boost, try using Greek yogurt instead of the sour cream.
    • Cheese Substitution: If you can’t find cotija cheese, feta cheese will work!

    How to Make Elote Pasta Salad

    This Mexican street corn pasta salad recipe couldn’t be easier! You simply pan-roast the corn, cook the pasta, and stir it all into the creamy, flavorful dressing. This comes together so quickly, it’ll blow your mind!

    1. Pan Roast Corn: Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the corn to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook the corn kernels, stirring often, until it is tender and toasted, about 10 minutes. Pour the cooked corn into a large bowl.
    2. Cook the Pasta: While the corn cooks, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and rinse the al dente pasta in cold water. Add the cooked pasta to the bowl along with the diced jalapeños and diced red onion.
    3. Make the Dressing: In a small bowl, mix the sour cream, mayo, cotija cheese, cilantro, lime juice, chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste.
    4. Mix and Serve: Pour the dressing over the corn and pasta mixture and toss to coat everything well. Serve immediately or chill for a couple of hours before serving to let the flavors develop more.
    Corn sautéing in a skillet.
    Cooked pasta with diced onion, jalapeno, and corn added to it.
    Dressing ingredients all added to a bowl.
    Dressing added to the bowl of pasta, corn, onion and jalapeno.

    Grilling Option

    If you want to level up the flavor in this pasta salad, try making this Easy Grilled Corn Recipe! Once the corn is grilled, remove the kernals from the cobb and use the grilled kernals in the salad.

    Scoop of elote pasta salad being lifted from a bowl of pasta.

    How to Store Leftover Elote Pasta Salad

    • In the Refrigerator: Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You may want to add a little more mayonnaise and sour cream after a few days if the noodles soak up some of the moisture. 
    • In the Freezer: I recommend skipping the freezer, since thawed corn can turn soggy and mess with the texture.

    More Delicious Pasta Salads

    Made this Elote Pasta Salad? Drop a comment below and let me know what your family thought of it! Here are a few more pasta salads for you to try.