Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad is delicious comfort food that comes together in under 30 minutes! The pasta is mixed with fresh corn, cilantro, bell peppers, lime juice, and Cotija cheese. The best homemade creamy dressing combines savory and tangy flavors of mayo, Greek yogurt, lime juice, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. You can grill the corn or cook it on the stovetop. It's a perfect Summer pasta salad for potlucks, barbecues, picnics, and cookouts!

Ingredients

Ingredients you need to cook

8 oz fusilli spiral pasta or use rotini, farfalle (bow-tie), penne, or rigatoni

3 ears corn on the cob or use canned corn

Other salad ingredients

1 red bell pepper diced

½ cup black beans from the can, drained and rinsed (½ can - 83 grams)

½ cup Cotija cheese grated

½ bunch cilantro chopped

Salad dressing

¼ cup mayonnaise

½ cup Greek yogurt

1 small lime freshly squeezed or more to taste

2 tablespoons sriracha sauce

1 teaspoon chili powder or more

cayenne pepper to taste (use it sparingly, it adds heat fast)

salt and pepper to taste

Garnish

4 green onions chopped

chili powder to taste

Instructions

Cook pasta

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add pasta and cook pasta al dente according to the package instructions. While the pasta is cooking, proceed with the rest of the recipe.

When the pasta is done, drain.

Cook corn

You can either grill the corn on the cob or boil it in the pot of water on the stovetop. Or, simply use canned corn kernels.

How to grill it. Remove the husks and the silks from corn on the cob. Preheat your outdoor grill to medium-high heat. Brush corn with olive oil, salt, and pepper all over. Grill until lightly charred for about 10 or 15 minutes. Rotate the corn frequently while grilling. Let it cool. Once cooled off, slice the corn kernels off the cob with the knife.

How to boil it. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Remove the husks and the silks from corn on the cob. Boil the corn for about 5 or 10 minutes until cooked. Remove it from the pot and let it cool. Once cooled off, slice the corn kernels off the cob with the knife.

Make the salad dressing

Combine all salad dressing ingredients in a mason jar. Whisk well with a fork.

Note: use cayenne pepper to taste and use sparingly as it adds heat fast. Skip it if you don't like things too spicy.

Assembly

In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked and drained pasta, cooked corn kernels, diced bell pepper, drained black beans, grated Cotija cheese, and chopped fresh cilantro. Mix.

Add salad dressing and mix to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

When serving, top with chopped green onions and sprinkle with chili powder. You can also sprinkle the salad with extra cheese if you like.