Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
This bold Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad is the perfect mash-up of zesty and creamy flavors with a fun mix of different textures. Loaded with sweet corn, a creamy, flavorful dressing, avocado, tomatoes, black beans, onions, and feta cheese.
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This pasta salad is a simple side dish is easy to make and just what you want to take for potlucks, summer cookouts and summer bbqs, or can be a quick idea for those weeknight dinners. You'll probably also love my Grilled Mexican Corn Salad, as it would complement this dish so nicely.
Why This Pasta Salad Works
If you're a fan of elote (Mexican street corn), this pasta salad takes all those delicious flavors and everything that you love about that and tosses it together with tender pasta for a flavorful combination.
It’s incredibly simple to make, ready in only half an hour, and is easily customized to your liking. It can be a hearty side dish or a main dish, whatever you prefer.
Simple Ingredients
- Rotini pasta: You could also use bowtie pasta or other small pasta shapes.
- Corn: Fresh corn is best, but frozen corn can be used in a pinch.
- Mayonnaise: I recommend using real mayo, not Miracle Whip.
- Herbs and spices: smoked paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, chopped cilantro, salt, and black pepper
- Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- Vegetables: cut cherry tomatoes, diced red onion, diced avocado, and optional minced jalapeno
- Feta cheese: Cojita cheese can also be used.
- Black beans: Pinto beans can be used if you prefer.
How to make this Pasta Salad
- Step 1: Once the corn is cooled, use a sharp knife to cut off the kernels.
- Step 2: Add ingredients for creamy dressing to a small bowl and mix until well combined.
- Step 3: Add cooked pasta, tomatoes, black beans, onions, jalapenos, Feta cheese to a large bowl.
- Step 4: Dump dressing over and mix until everything is well coated. Fold in avocado and cilantro.
Recipe Tips
- For the best flavor and a fun twist, you could grill the corn or use fire-roasted corn from the freezer section.
- Swap feta cheese out for creamy cotija cheese or other queso fresco.
- Add some other things like diced bell peppers. I think the sweeter, red, yellow, or orange bell peppers would work nicely.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
- Since you aren't using the whole can of black beans, you can freeze the leftover beans in a freezer-safe container or freezer-safe bag for later.
Recipe Faq's
Yes! This pasta salad can be made up to a day in advance. Give it a stir before serving.
The salad has a mild kick from the jalapenos, chili powder, and chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, but you can easily adjust the heat by adding more or less chili or jalapeños, etc. If you don't want spicy, adjust the ingredients to be very mild with just a hint of spice and let the other flavors of Mexican street corn take over.
Fresh-cooked corn is best for flavor, but frozen or canned corn works well if desired. Just make sure it's drained and heated all the way through.
More Corn Recipes
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Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups dried rotini pasta
- 4 ears of corn on the cob
For The Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 chipotle pepper finely chopped along with 2 tablespoons adobo sauce *see notes
For The Salad
- 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes cut in half
- ½ cup black beans drained and rinsed
- ½ cup red onion diced
- 1 jalapeno minced optional
- ½ cup Feta cheese
- 1 avocado diced
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Cook pasta to al dente according to the pkg directions, drain and set aside
- Heat a small pot of water on high heat and bring to a boil, add in the corn and cook 4-6 minutes. Remove to a plate and let them cool.
- Once the corn is cooled off using a sharp knife and stand the cob on one end and carefully run the knife down the sides to remove the kernels, and set aside.
- In a small bowl mix together the dressing ingredients until combined.
- In a large bowl add the cooked pasta, tomatoes, black beans, onion, jalapenos, corn and Feta cheese. Add the mixed dressing on top and mix until combined.
- Fold in the avocado and cilantro until mixed. Add more salt and pepper to taste if desired.
- Add more feta cheese on top and serve!
