After yesterday's Trader Joe's haul, I found myself with a bag of fresh corn on the cob and beautiful farfalle in the pantry, and I decided to make this delicious elote pasta salad.

Perfectly cooked farfalle pasta, a sweet burst of corn, a pinch of spice, tangy and creamy crema dressing. I served the pasta with a simple grilled chicken.

overhead view of Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad in a white bowl

Why This Elote Pasta Salad Works

It takes less than 30 minutes to make, so it's perfect for anyone on tight schedule in need of an easy dinner recipe.
Easy ingredients to find at a local supermarket.
It is delicious and perfectly complements your favorite proteins.

What Is Elote Mexican Street Corn?

Mexican street corn is a popular street food in Mexico. It's usually grilled corn until it's smoky and slightly charred.

The maize is slathered with creamy mayo and Mexican crema, crumbled cotija cheese, chili powder, and lime juice and garnished with freshly chopped cilantro.

Ingredient List and Substitutions

Corn

Fresh Ears of Corn (or frozen corn cobs)
Salt
Filtered Water

Simple Ingredients For Pasta Recipe

Farfalle Pasta
Mayonnaise – try this homemade avocado oil mayo recipe
Mexican Crema (if you can't find crema, swap it for full-fat sour cream)
Mexican Cotija Cheese – queso fresco, or feta cheese are great alternatives.
Fresh Lime Juice – lemons are a great substitution.
Fresh Cilantro

Elote seasoning

This elote Seasoning combination is made with chili powder, cumin powder, paprika, and lime chili powder (tajin), which can be optional.

I love the hint of acidity from the tajin.

overhead view of Ingredients for Elote Corn Pasta

overhead view of elote seasoning in dishes and labeled

Equipment

(2) Large Pots
Large Pan
Pasta Drainer
Large Mixing Bowl
Large Mixing Spoon
Paring Knife

Step-by-Step Instructions For Elote Pasta Salad

Pasta

Fill two large pots with water and lots of salt.
Add the pasta to one pot
Boil the pasta until it's al dente, roughly 10-12 minutes. Follow the instructions on the box. Every pasta has slightly different cooking times.
Drain and allow to cool; add a couple of ice cubes to the pasta to allow it to cool.

Corn

Remove the husks and corn silk, and then add the corn to the pot of water
Cook for 10 minutes
Preheat a large saute pan on high heat, then quickly brown the cooked corn to slightly golden brown corn. Set aside and allow to cool.
Slice the corn off the cob with a sharp paring knife and place it in the mixing bowl.

Final Steps & Creamy Dressing

While the pasta is cooling, combine all ingredients, including the juice of the limes, mayo, crumbled cheese, crema, spices, and corn, and mix well, then add the pasta and coat the pasta well.
Top with freshly sliced cilantro, and serve!

Elote Pasta Salad Variations

Toppings

Crumbled tortilla chips
Crumbled corn chips
Crumbled sweet Crispy plantain chips

Storage and Serving

Store in a glass airtight container and no heating is recommended. Allow it to sit at room temperature for a couple of minutes, then serve.

What To Serve With Mexican Elote Pasta Salad?

I love this with an easy air fried chicken, or super Crispy Pollo Empanizado (Breaded Chicken).

Looking for other recipes?

Try some of my favorites:

Pork Belly Fried Rice

If you make this recipe, please leave a comment or rate it. I would love to hear from you and try my best to respond to all comments.

Olga