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BBQ & Grill

Elote Inspired Pasta Salad

This zesty pasta salad draws inspiration from the flavors of elote—a Mexican recipe with grilled corn on the cob that's smothered in a creamy mayo-based sauce and sprinkled with chili powder, cotija cheese and lime.

Prep Time:

10 mins

Cook Time:

10 mins

Total Time:

20 mins

Servings:

4

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces small whole-wheat pasta such as reginetti or elbows (about 2½ cups)
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 cups fresh corn kernels (from 4 to 5 ears) or thawed frozen corn kernels
  • 4 tablespoons crema mexicana or sour cream
  • 4 tablespoons light mayonnaise
  • ½ teaspoon grated lime zest
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 small clove garlic, grated
  • 4 tablespoons crumbled cotija cheese, divided
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided
  • ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika, divided

Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; cook 6 ounces pasta according to package directions. Drain thoroughly; spread in an even layer on a baking sheet to cool.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 cups corn; cook, undisturbed, until blistered, about 2 minutes. Stir and spread into an even layer; cook, stirring every 2 minutes, until charred in many spots, about 4 minutes. Transfer to the baking sheet with the pasta. Let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, combine 4 tablespoons crema (or sour cream), 4 tablespoons mayonnaise, ½ teaspoon lime zest, 1 tablespoon lime juice, ½ teaspoon salt, garlic, 2 tablespoons cotija, 1 tablespoon cilantro and ⅛ teaspoon paprika together in a large bowl; whisk until well combined. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the crema mixture in a small bowl. Add the pasta-corn mixture to the remaining crema mixture in the large bowl; toss to combine. Transfer to a platter or bowl. Drizzle with the reserved 2 tablespoons crema mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons cotija, 1 tablespoon cilantro and ⅛ teaspoon paprika.