The flavor of Elotes combined with an American classic. Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad is your new BBQ MVP!
What happens when you combine two of the arguably best side dishes of the summer? Magic in your mouth. Creamy, tart, cheesy, spicy–all of the flavor!
Mexican Street Corn (Elotes)
If you’re not familiar with this traditional Mexican street food, let me tell you, you’re missing out! Here in SoCal, you’ll often find elote at farmers markets and street fairs. The first thing you notice is the smell – freshly charred corn, with the husk wrapped around the base to keep your hands from getting burned. That’s how fresh.
The best part of the experience is the toppings. There’s usually a condiment bar where you can slather on the most luxurious blend of mayo and sour cream or Mexican crema. Add a sprinkle of cotija (a crumbly, salty cheese), some chili powder, a squeeze of lime, and you’re good to go!
There are even fancy restaurant versions along the lines of Molly Baz’s Elote Recipe, that add extras like garlic and herbs. Yum.
Lightening up elote
Elote is an absolute TREAT. But it’s hard to get away from the fact that it’s literally corn smothered in mayo and sour cream. Delicious, but not an everyday food. I wanted to change that up so that anyone can enjoy the flavors of Mexican street corn without the guilt.
And so Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad was born. Light mayo and nonfat Greek yogurt provide a creamy base without all the fat. Cotija cheese, chili powder, jalapenos, lime juice and fresh herbs add spicy flair. The flavors of elotes are captured in a hearty pasta salad that’s lightened up just enough.
You can do so much with this recipe. Add some canned beans or chicken for protein and to make it a complete meal. Maybe even top it off with some avocado if you have the extra points. Get creative!
Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad is just as good freshly mixed at room temperature as it is chilled for a while, so you don’t have to worry about how you serve it.
More delicious sides for your summer bbq
- Hawaiian Mac Salad
- Grilled Veggie Skewers with Balsamic Glaze
- One Pot Macaroni and Cheese
- Deviled Egg Potato Salad
I’d love to hear from you if you make this recipe! It makes my day when you share your pics on Instagram and tag me (@litecravings). Don’t forget to use #litecravingsrecipes to make sure I see it. If I don’t get a chance to scroll through my tags quickly enough, I won’t see your post. I always make a point to look through the hashtags, though, so I’ll see it there.
Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 6 ounces uncooked whole wheat small pasta shape, cooked in salted water according to package directions
- 4 small ears of corn, grilled and cut off of the cob. Or you can use 3 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed.
- 1/3 cup light mayo
- 1/3 cup plain, non fat greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp unsweetened, plain almond milk
- 3 tbsp fresh lime juice (from about 2 large limes)
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 jalapeno, diced (I left the seeds in and really liked the kick, but remove the seeds if you don’t like spicy food)
- 1 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese or grated parmesan
Instructions
- Set pasta aside. In a large bowl, combine mayo, yogurt, almond milk, lime juice, and chili powder.
- Add in all of the remaining ingredients, including pasta. Mix well and serve either as is or chilled.
One of my favorites ❤️
Mine too!
Would this work without the pasta?
I’m sure it could. Maybe cut the sauce ingredients in half? Most of thag soaks into the pasta, so you definitely won’t need as much if you omit it.
This pasta salad is amazing! Do you have the calories per serving on this one? Thank you!
I just updated the nutritional info. Thanks for keeping me honest, and I’m so happy you liked it!
So yum! I thought I had the ingredients on hand, fail! So I decided to substitute with what I had, fusilli pasta, canned corn ( blistered in a pan), cayenne vs jalepeno, a dash of smoked paprika to mimic the grill, and grated parmesan vs feta. It is so good! I can’t wait to try it with the correct ingredients next time, I’m sure it’s even better 👊
All of your substitutions sound fantastic! I do that a lot–take a recipe that looks really good and then sub with what I have on hand.