This Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad is loaded with flavor! Charred corn, pasta, crumbled bacon and Cotija cheese are tossed in a creamy chili-lime cilantro dressing. This Mexican Pasta Salad is a delicious and easy Mexican side dish sure to become a favorite!
Ingredients
2 12 ounces bags frozen corn, thawed or 5 to 6 ears of fresh corn
2 cups cooked pasta (any small shaped pasta) like mini penne or mini shells
4 green onions, sliced
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup Cotija cheese cut into small cubes
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream or Mexican crema
1 garlic clove, minced
1 lime juice and zest
1/4 teaspoon Ancho chili powder (or any other chili powder)
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)
6-8 strips bacon, cooked until crispy and crumbled
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
TO PREPARE THE CORN
In a Cast Iron Skillet or Regular Skillet (frozen corn)
Heat a 1 inch cast iron skillet over medium high heat. When hot, add the corn kernels in a single layer and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Stir and cook until the corn is charred. You may have to repeat this process until all the corn is nicely charred.
On a grill (corn on the cob)
Shuck and clean the corn. You don't have to worry about removing every piece of silk as it will burn on the grill.
Heat your grill to medium heat. Place the corn directly on the grill. Grill turning occasionally for about 10 minutes or until charred and cooked through.
In a large bowl, mix the charred corn, the cooked pasta, green onions, jalapeño, cilantro and cheese.
